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i 
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.r 



REVELATIONS 



OP 



SIBERIA. 



VOL. II. 



EEVELATION 8 



OF 



SIBERIA. 



BY A BANISHED LADY. 



EDITED BT 

COLONEL LACH SZTEMA, 

AUTBOB Of 
"LZTT£BS ON POLAKD/' "AUGLIA I 8ZK0CTA," &C. &C. 



IN TWO VOLUMES. 
VOL. IL 




LONDON: 
COLBUEN AND CO., PUBLISHERS, 

QOEAT 1USLB0B0U6H SXBEET. 

1862. 



£(/J_ ./. //^. 



LONDON: 

Printed by Schulze and Co., 13, Poland Street. 



CONTENTS 



or 



THE SECOND VOLUME. 



CHAPTER I. 



Fabulous account of the bear — Degeneracy of the 
Russians^ and courage of the natives — ^Bear-hunting — 
Superstitious veneration of the bear — White bears — 
Ceremonial observance of a husband's death — Winter 
aspect of Berezov — Ostiak costume — Probability of 
early communication between Siberia and North 
America . . . . .1 

CHAPTER n. 

Refusal of marriage at church — Purchase of wives — 
Figure of Shaitan and his worship — Priesthood of 
Shamanism — ^Their influence, juggleries, and sooth- 
saying — Treatment of women in child-bed — Funeral 



VI CONTENTS. 

and laments — Pictures in the church — A black thief 
— Integrity of the natives — Cattle in search of 
pasture — Artificial system of breeding — Instinct of a 
cow • • . • . .19 



CHAPTER III, 

A dream of home — Murder of a wife by her husband — 
Barbarous notions of matrimony — An Ostiak cradle 
— Zarutchai cemetery at night — ^Walk through an 
underwood — ^The ideal and the every-day world. 47 



CHAPTER IV. 

Herds of reindeer — Capture of a horse — Scarcity of 
water — Novel employment for dogs — Freezing of 
rivers — ^Excursion in sledges — ^Wave-like surface of 
the ice — An encounter . . .62 



CHAPTER V. 

Drive in a narta — Peculiarities and use of the reindeer — 
Their pasture — Their herds in the Ural — Use of their 
skins and flesh — ^Their swiftness and powers of en- 
durance — Manner of travelling in Siberia — Fish- skin 
and mica-slate windows — Fuel — ^Tremulous state of 
the atmosphere — ^Three hours of daylight — No clock 
in town — Manner of notifying the hours — ^Tale-telling 
party — ^Two Ostiak tales — ^The hunters — Old Friend's 
Reindeer • . . . .73 



CONTENTS. VU 



CHAPTER VI. 

The Arctic region north of Berezov — Obdorsk fair — 
Zirani — Fur-tax — Perfidy of Russian merchants — 
Division of the nadye population of Watahy — Chiefs 
of the tribes — The Prince of Obdorsk — Catherine II. 
— The Prince's threat to bum Tobolflk — Assault 
on him— rCurious trial — Integrity of the native 
races . . . . .117 

CHAPTER VII. 

Christmas — Masquerades— Visit from a party of masks 
— Custom of preserving wedding-clothes — New Year's 
Eve — Superstitions — Professor Kalmikow's delusion 
— Fiendish pranks — Phantasmagoria . .132 

CHAPTER VIII. 

New Year's Day — Letters from home — Evening party 
— Various games and songs — Judge Slobodzki — 
Expelling the devils — The town in alarm — Arrival of 
a Polish physician — Fair at Berezov — Fur trade — 
Berezovian foxes — A walk in a severe frost . 151 



CHAPTER IX. 

Matrimonii^ alliance— Twelfth Night or the Maslanca 
y^^e— Regulations restricting the sale of spirits — Visit 
from an exiled Tartar Khan — His dress and orders — 



VIU CONTENTS. 

Ceremony in Lient^ and its effects — Remarks on duel- 
ling — Lienten Diet — Its effects on health — Assimila- 
tion of Russian settlers to the Ostiaks . 172 



CHAPTER X. 

Walk on a frosty day — Mode of preserving meat— Im- 
providence of the Ostiaks — Distressing case of a 
starving famQy — Cockroaches — Message from the 
Kierghes IChan — Going to communion — Easter re- 
flections and visits— 'Cause of blindness among the 
Ostiaks — Meteorologic phenomena — Appearance of 
a crow — Snow-birds — ^The 3rd of May . 194 



CHAPTER XI. 

Beginning of a thaw — Wild fowl — Arrival of the 
birds — Shooting excursi6n — ^Native sport — Breaking 
up of the ice — Violent gale — The waves of the 
Soswa ..... 219 



CHAPTER XII. 

Ungenial spring — ^The annual supplies of provisions — 
Visit to one of the vessels — Visit from a Frenchman 
— Characteristics of the Siberians — ^The Frenchman's 
■ adventures — Sudden heat — River scenery — Prome- 
nade — A tempest — Conservatories of plants — 
Kozlow's departure for the Oby Gulf . . 239 



CONTENTS. IX 



CHAPTER XIII. 

An examination at a school — St. Peter's fUe — Ostiak 
dance — Patron Saint's festival — Solemnity of the pro- 
cession — Another sporting excursion — Fishing — 
Bathing . . . .260 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Beginning of autumn — ^Walk on the banks of the Soswa 
— ^New street — ^Tameness of Berezovian dogs — En- 
counter with an Ostiak — Civilised and primitive life 
contrasted . • . . • 284 



CHAPTER XV. 



The Aurora Borealis .... 289 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Lieutenant Pirn's proposed journey across Siberia — 
Difficulties of its execution, as stated by the Russian 
Government — Rebellion of a Samoied chief — His 
capture at Obdorsk— Alarm at Berezov — Belief in 
witchcraft ..... 294 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Arrival of a Chinownik — An evening party — Letters 
from home — A maid-servant — Special commission — 
Official insubordination — Search for mammoth bones 
— Josephine's marriage — Authoress transferred to 
Saratov — Preparations for the journey — Noble con- 
duct of the Berezovians — Farewell . . 308 



EEVELATI0N8 OF SIBERIA. 



CHAPTER I. 

Fabulous account of the bear — Degeneracy of the 
Russians, and courage of the natives — ^Bear-hunting — 
Su{>er8titious veneration of the bear — ^White bears — 
Ceremonial observance of a husband's death — ^Winter 
aspect of Berezov — Ostiak costume — Probability of 
early communication between Siberia and North 
America. 

From the moment of the rumoured appear- 
ance of the terrible Bruin in this vicinity, nobody 
dared to stir beyond the precincts of the town ; 
and whoever happened to possess a black cow 
was in extreme trepidation for the safety of his 
cattle. Still no one was bold enough to make 

VOL. II. B 



2 REVELATIONS 

one step in the forest, to ascertain how far the 
report was founded on truth. 

Though the thickets of the district of Berezov 
are deemed to be the birthplace of bears, still 
it is not the custom of these animals to venture 
near human habitations, and they usually remain 
in the depths of the forest. The town of 
Berezov is, it is true, surrounded on every side 
with wood, but the appearance of these animals, 
and the damage they cause to the inhabitants, are 
facts gathered rather from ancient traditions than 
from experience. Most of the accounts circulated 
with respect to the pranks and characteristics 
of this shaggy and ungainly animal, are fabulous, 
and are rendered still more so by the admixture 
of new stories of the same wonderful stamp. 
With the Berezovians the bear forms, during' 
the long winter evenings, the favourite topic 
of conversation, and the anecdotes related •of 
him are commonly listened to with as great 
curiosity as ghost stories with us. A popular 
myth, moreover, contributes in a great degree 
to heighten their effect. According to this 
fable, the bear is a fallen man, doomed for his 
sins to pass through the animal shape, but 



OF SIBERIA. 3 

during his metamorphosis stiU preserving a 
portion of his former disposition and in- 
clination. He is believed even to be able 
at times, and under certain conditions, to 
resume his primitive human form and nature ; 
though not frequently, and only for a short 
time. 

I felt tired of sitting for several days in the 
room, as if in a prison ; and, at last, to the , 
great dismay and astonishment of every one, I 
went to the forest, and was the first who 
attempted the feat. But in my ramble I met 
neither bear, nor man, nor could I see any 
trace of the bear, though I went to the very 
spot where he was seen devouring a black 
cow. On my way home, I met four men with 
hatchets on their shoulders; they were car- 
penters, who were just proceeding in search 
of the bear, in order to relieve the neighbour- 
hood from depredations, as well as from fright. 
These carpenters were not Siberians, but Rus- 
sians, who arrived to seek employment in their 
trade. 

Accustomed as I had been to witness 
hunting-parties in Lithuania, and to hear ac- 

B 2 



4 REVELATIONS 

counts of the courage, if not fool-hardy intre- 
pidity with which all sorts of ferocious beasts 
were attacked by the Lithuanian hunters, I 
could not accouQt for the craven spirit of a 
people bom in the midst of forests, and from 
the very nature of the locality destined to 
make hunting their vocation ; and the wonder 
was the greater, as venison is their prin- 
cipal food, and the skins of animals their only 
clothing. 

In this respect, the Berezovians may be con- 
sidered to be wholly unfit for their most natural 
pursuit. Indeed, the men are, with very few 
exceptions, effeminate and cowardly. ' Enjoying 
undisturbed security, they have lost all courage ; 
and the facUity with which they obtain from the 
Ostiaks, for a mere trifle, ample suppli^ of 
food, as well as commodities for commerce, has 
rendered them incapable of any vigorous exer- 
tion. They do not dislike hunting, if it be 
easy, and they are not exposed either to 
much hardship or danger. Nets and traps 
are their instruments of venery, and they 
cannot even handle fire-arms with anything 
like skill. 



OF SIBERIA. 5 

The Ostiaks are the reva^e of aH this : the 
skill and courage persons of that race display in 
hunting is astonishing. I have often seen 
Ostiaks lacerated all over by personal conflict 
with a bear, a result which, it is said, cannot be 
avoided by the most dexterous hunters. Hunt- 
ing a bear requires great courage, and a parti- 
cular skill and presence of mind. When the 
.Ostiaks are on these expeditions, they endeavour, 
in the first place, to find out the bear's lair. 
This done, one of the hunters, armed vdth a 
large sharp knife or cutlass, goes to the spot, 
and does everything he possibly can to irritate 
the animal. The bear, at length, excessively 
provoked, stands up on his hind feet, and in 
that posture rushes at the offender, who allows 
him to advance, and just at the moment that the 
bear is about to give him a rude embrace, rips 
up his belly. 

The Ostiaks evince a degree of veneration for 
the bear, ludicrously inconsistent with their 
treatment of him. Though they kill him, and 
^at his flesh, they never omit, after they have 
flayed him, to ask his pardon. His paws, when 
cut off, are hung beside the images of their 



REVELATIONS 



household gods, and they are all worshipped 
alike.* 

The bears of Berezov are in colour a dark 
brown. Their coats are valued at from ten to 



* This superstitious awe is easily explained by the 
superior sagacity of the bear in the presence of danger, 
by the love it shows for its offspring, and the wonderful 
instinct with which it is endowed by nature. The 
Kamtschadales, as Cook during his sojourn among them 
observed, regard the bears as their instructors in the 
little science they possess. ''They confess themselves 
indebted," he says, " to those ^mimals for all their know- 
ledge of physic and surgery; for, by observing what 
herbs they have applied to the wounds they have 
received, and what methods they have pursued when 
they were languid and out of order, they have acquired 
a knowledge of most of those simples which they have 
now recourse to, either as external or internal applica- 
tions. But the most singular circumstance of all is, 
that they admit the bears to be their dancing-masters. 
The evidence of our senses places this matter beyond 
all dispute ; for, in the bear-dance of the Kamtschadales, 
every gesture and attitude peculiar to that animal was 
faithfully exhibited. All their other dances are similar 
to this in many particulars, and those attitudes are 
thought to come the nearest to perfection, which most 
resemble the motions of the bear.'' 



OF SIBERIA. 7 



fifteen assignat rubles. Four skins are required 
to make a fur doak called a shuba ; but this 
kind of garment is seldom worn, partly because 
it is too heavy, and partly fi-om its being such a 
common material. A little farther towards the 
ocean, and more especially at the mouth of the 
river Oby, there exists a species of white bear, 
which is an object of terror to the fishing parties 
in those parts. Still I heard a fisherman relate 
its visits are more annoying than dangerous : for 
after he has alarmed the fishermen, and put 
them to flight, he confines his depredations to 
what can be devoured; and having satisfied 
his appetite, retires without doing any farther 
injury. 

Madame X celebrated the anniversary of 

the death of her first husband, in honour of 
which she baked a variety of wheaten rolls and 
cakes, garnished with various preserves, berries, 
and chopped raisins. These she sent round to 
the kindred and fiiends of the deceased. She 
then boiled some rice, which she mixed with 
honey, and putting it into a urn, carried it to 
church. There she was met by the relatives and 
fiiends of the deceased, who were assembled at 



8 REVELATIONS 

her own invitatioQ. Divine service was then 
performed, after which the name of the deceased 
was audibly pronounced by each person present, 
when the rice in the urn was distributed among 
them. Those who happened to be absent, 
received a dish of the prepared rice at their own 
dwellings. 

The funeral service at church in commemo- 
ration of the deceased having terminated, 

Madame X invited all present at the 

mournful celebration to accompany her home to 
breakfast, when the ceremony of tasting the rice 
was again gone through. This being done, the 
breakfast, or rather luncheon, was served in 
such abundance that it might have passed for a 
dinner. 

Towards the end of this strange feast, it was 
proposed to have a game at boston, for which 
indeed preparations were made, but the greater 
part of the guests, after partaking of a sump- 
tuous meal, became drowsy and anxious for 
their customary after-dinner siesta, and began 
gradually to steal away, till at last all took 
leave. I was not at all sorry when I jsaw 
myself alone; for this feasting, be it remem- 



OF SIBERIA. 9 

bered by the reader, took place at our lodgings, 
and in our rooms. 

September opened with a heavy fall of snow. 
All the environs of the town now looked as 
dean as they had previously been dirty, and one 
could hardly recognise the scene, so totally 
was it changed. Not a trace of mud, not a 
patch of dirty brown surface was visible. Far 
and wide was spread a spotless sheet of white. 
All the inhabitants appeared in the street clad 
in the Ostiak costume, which consists of a com- 
plete suit of reindeer skins, with the hair turned 
inside out. Finding myself on a sudden in the 
inidst of such men, it was with difficulty I could 
persuade myself, at first sight, that these shaggy 
moving forms, incased in the coats of beasts, 
and wearing such a strange appearance, were 
human beings. In his exterior, the Ostiak 
differs materially from the people we are accus- 
tomed to see, and without personal experience, 
it is impossible to form any exact idea of the 
impression produced by his strange and gro- 
tesque figure. 

These tribes tear out the hair of their beard, 
until it loses the power to grow, which makes 



1 REVELATIONS 

them look like women, although far from 
softening the outlines of the face, it renders them 
more rugged and harsh. They do not shave 
their heads like the Samoiedes, but divide the 
hair into two parts on the top of the head, and 
plait it behind the ears into two thick braids. 
Others, who are less cleanly, let it faU loosely 
and in disorder over their shoulders. The 
plaited braids are intertwined ^ with strings of 
beads. Similar strings of beads, mostly of 
glass, and of a larger size, adorn the neck, 
from which they also suspend a small cross of 
brass, in token of their being converted to 
Christianity. 

Their every-day dress consists, first of the so- 
called malcay a shirt of reindeer skin with the 
hair turned inside ; in the yourtay within doors, 
if the frost is not more than ordinarily severe, 
this is a sufficient covering, but outside they put 
over it another garment, or fur, very similar in 
appearance, except that it is larger, and not 
open in front, and the hair is turned outside. 
This second garment is called a parka^ and is 
worn with a hood behind, which, on going out 
of doors, is drawn over the head, and tied with 



OF SIBERIA. II 

a leather strap under the chin. Falling over 
the forehead, it almost envelopes the whole 
face, and except at the apertures for the eyes, 
nose and mouth, renders it quite inacces- 
sible to the action of the atmosphere. The 
hood is formed of the skin of the reindeer's 
head, and the ears of the animal figure 
prominently above. 

Large gloves of shaggy fiir, lined inside with 
fur of a more delicate character, form a constant 
appendage of the parka ; there being but one 
opening left between them to allow of the inser- 
tion of the hand. When the gloves are not 
needed, they are tucked up over the sleeves in 
the fashion of cuffs. To protect the feet, the 
Ostiaks wear long stockings, made of reindeer 
skin with the hair inside. These stockings 
reach above the knees, and are called tchize. 
Boots, likewise of reindeer skin, are worn over 
them, and have the hair outside. The hair on 
the boots is much shorter than on the stockings, 
the skin being taken from the animal's legs, and 
stitched together in strips. They are called by 
them pymyy and ascend over the thighs, where, 
to prevent them from slipping down, they are 



1 2 REVELATIONS 

secured by straps of leather to the girdle. The 
soles, like the legs, have the hair outwards, and 
this is found a great convenience when walking 
on ice. 

When an Ostiak leaves home on a jourpey 
during winter, his travelling dress consists, 
in addition to the malca and the parkay of a 
third garment, much more capacious than the 
others, and which is likewise made of reindeer 
skin, with a hood for the head, and no opening 
in the front. This garment is put on over the 
two others, and is called a gusia. A man so 
dad loses the last vestige of human form. 

Under such a heap of fiirs one may, without 
fear, expose himself to cold fifty degrees below the 
freezing point ; and that people, so dressed, can, 
without injury, defy the most intense frost, I may 
adduce in proof that the inhabitants of Berezov 
cannot remember a single instance of any person 
having perished from cold in their vicinity; 
whereas, in our own country, where the winter is 
comparatively mild, such incidents are of fi^ 
quent occurrence. I did not wonder at this fact, 
when I compared the clothing of the northern 
Siberians with that worn by our peasantry. For 



OF SIBERIA. 13 

what protection against cold can he derive from 
a sheep-skin coat (koziu:h), accessible on all sides 
to external air, though it is the chief article of 
his clothing ? Or what comfort from his boots, 
or the wretched rags or straw round, his feet ? 
Can these be any way compared with the boots 
and large fur stockings, which incase the feet of 
the Ostiaks ? 

When the frost is most intense, and mercury 
itself freezes, it no doubt happens that some 
parts of the face, if at all exposed, are frosts 
bitten. In such caseSj brandy is applied to 
the frozen part, and the frost gives way to a 
red spot, such as is produced by a blister. 
These spots, in course of time, gradually 
diminish, and in a few weeks entirely dis- 
appear. 

Even during the summer, the Ostiaks make 
scarcely any difference in their wearing apparel ; 
except that, perhaps during the warm season, 
they wear garments which, from being long in 
use, have become very thin, and have the hair 
rubbed off. On their gala-days and festivals, 
the suuuner dress consists of a shirt, commonly 
of red or yeUow cloth, and sometimes of white 



14 REVELATIONS 

linen. In the latter case, the collar as well 
as the borders below are of black cloth, trimmed 
with divers- coloured beads, and shining tin or 
brass plates ; shoes of cloth, of all colours, very 
clumsily made, with long, pointed toes, much 
too large for the foot,- complete this costume. 

The every-day apparel of an Ostiak woman 
resembles in all points that of the man, except 
that she wears a veil, which cannot be laid 
aside even when in her own yourta, as she 
may meet persons of her own family before 
whom it is deemed indecorous to appear with 
uncovered face — as her father-in-law, and her 
husband's elder brother. She is not forbidden to 
uncover her face in the presence of strangers. 
The veil, when worn with the every-day dress, 
is a sort of coloured neckerchief of Russian 
manufacture. 

But, notwithstanding that the ordinary cos- 
tumes of the two sexes so nearly correspond, the 
holiday attire of the Ostiak women diflfers ma- 
terially from that of the men. They are indeed 
wont, like the men, to plait their hair in braids, 
one on either side of the head ; but their braids 
admit of much more adornment. Hanging 



OF SIBERIA. 15 

down from the shoulders, their ends are united 
by a string, or flattened cord, about three inches 
broad, richly studded with beads. From this 
point the two braids fall together; and at certain 
distances, several other strings of beads are 
attached, and in that manner the hair descends 
almost to the heels. Each string of beads is, 
at its termination, fastened to a circular metal 
plate of the size of half-a-crown, which, at the 
least movement of the head or body, striking 
against the glass beads, keeps up an incessant 
jingle, not unlike that of the Cracovian horse- 
harness. This kind of head-gear is exceedingly 
cumbersome und heavy, and constrained the 
Ostiak belles, I observed, to hold their head 
constantly erect, and in a backward position. With 
this head-dress is united a costume, composed of a 
shirt, of various colours, over a cloth petticoat, 
trimmed with fringe. Over all is a caftan, also 
of cloth, and invariably of some bright colour, 
with the borders embroidered, to a breadth of 
from two to three inches, with various-coloured 
glass beads, intermixed with glistening small tin 
plates. This short, tight caftan is tied with 
leathern straps ; and at each knot, exactly where 



-1 



1 6 REVELATIONS 

the leathern straps are sown, are small bells of 
the size of our billiard-table bells, whence it mav 
easily be imagined what a jingle there must be 
when several Ostiak women make their ap- 
pearance attired in theu- holiday dresses. • This 
dress is remarkably short, which renders it the 
more striking. The shoes are of coloured doth, 
similar in shape to those of the men, and nearly 
as clumsy. Some are ornamented with beads. 
The whole attire is completed with the veil, 
which commonly is of rose-coloured taffeta, with 
borders of light blue, or these coloiu^ are re- 
versed. The borders of the veil are trinmied 
with large fringes, and when thiown over the 
head, it is broad enough to cover both the face 
and shoulders. This veil is called the wak- 
shim. 

A singular custom prevails among the Ostiaks, 
both men and women, of puncturing the skin 
with figures, which, by the infusion of a bluish 
liquid, become indelible. This custom, if I am 
rightly informed, they have in common with 
some wild tribes of North America, which seems 
to prove that the people of the two disrupted 
continents were at some early period in commu- 



OF SIBERIA. 17 

nication with each other;* for it is otherwise 
incomprehensible how a custom^ as Kzarre as 
it is unnatural, and arising from no local neces- 
sity, should be merely the result of accident, 
occurring to two nations inhabiting regions so 
distant, and separated by a vast ocean. 

The inhabitants of Berezov, of Russian ex- 
traction, soon learning how Uttle our European 
costumes are adapted to this rigorous climate, 
are in the habit, as soon as winter sets in, of 
adopting the Ostiak dress, and never go out of 
doors without it. The Russian functionaries 
are then alone seen perambulating the streets, 
in their cloaks and furred shubas, to preserve 
the dignity of their rank ; but even they, when 
going out of town, or on a journey, don the 
shapeless but more comfortable clothing of the 
natives. Ladies whom I have seen at evening 
parties conspicuous for the elegance of their 
dress, wear in winter the Ostiak costume, both 
within and out of doors. 

* Certain very ancient and undecipherable characters 
have been found carved on a rock in Southern Siberia, 
and the very same on a stone in North America. — 
Cottrell*8 Recollections^ p. 72. 

VOL. II. C 



1 8 REVELATIONS 

I trust this description will suffice to justify 
my having at the outset compared the streets of 
BerezoV) on the first fall of snow^ to a park occu- 
pied by a herd of white bears. At first sight, 
the spectacle rivetted me to the spot, so strange 
and unearthly did it appear. 



OF SIBERIA. 19 



CHAPTER II. 

Refusal of marriage at church — Purchase of wives — 
Figure of Shaitan and his worship— Priesthood of 
Shamanism — ^Their influence^ juggleries^ and sooth- 
sapng — Treatment of women in child-bed — Funeral 
and laments — Pictures in the church — A black thief 
— Integrity of the natives — Cattle in search of pas- 
ture — Artificial system of breeding — Instinct of a 
cow. 

Two young Ostiaks, after a twelvemonth's 
trial of matrimonial life, arrived at Berezov, to 
be married at church ; and as the yoimg man 
was an acquaintance of om* landlord's, who had 
had some commercial transactions with him, 
they put up at his house. 

I was present at the toilette of the young 

Q 2 



W) REVELATIONS 

bride, who was dressed in a caftan of green 
cloth, adorned with strings of beads, and jingling 
plates and bells. Thus attired, she proceeded 
with the bridegroom to church, where, however, 
the priest refused to marry them, as the loving 
couple had actually forgotten their Christian 
names. 

Neither bridegroom nor bride seemed to be 
much annoyed at this awkward circumstance, 
though the latter was visibly approaching the 
happy state in which she might expect to be 
entitled to a more dignified name. But without 
bestowing a mementos thought on the event, or 
even thinking it worth while to try to remove 
the obstacles which stood in the way of their 
legal marriage, they both returned together to 
their yourta. 

It is the custom with the Ostiaks, as well as 
other wild tribes inhabiting Siberia, to adopt for 
themselves such names as they like, and by 
which alone they become known among the 
people of their tribe. Such adopted names 
commonly express some particular quality, or 
profession of the individual. By these they 
address each other, and are known to the 



OF SIBERIA. 21 

Russians ; while their Christian names are used 
only in legal acts.* 

Marriages among the Ostiaks combine many 
of the usages of Paganism with those of Chris- 
tianity, to which a considerable portion of the 
race has apparently been converted. The des- 
tined bridegroom pays the kalim^ or required 
price, for his betrothed to her parents, and con- 
siders himself before God and man her husband. 
He then takes her home as his wife, post- 
poning the marriage ceremony, according to the 
Christian Church, till a more convenient season. 
Often many years elapse before this act is accom- 
plished ; and even then it is only on the inter- 
ference of the ecclesiastical authorities, who are 
compelled by law to see the Christian ritual 
enforced, that the ceremony is gone through. 

The Ostiaks usually purchase their wives; 

* A parallel instance of religious deception is fur- 
nished by some savage tribes in the British possessions 
in the Eastern Archipelago^ who^ converted from Bud- 
dhism to Christianity, adopt their new faith in so far 
only as it secures them the enjoyment of certain privi- 
leges ; but otherwise they call Christianity '* the East 
India Company's religion." 



22 REVEIATIONS 

and the marriage therefore is more a transac- 
tion of commerce than one in which affection 
or generosity is concerned. The higher the 
price set on a maid, the more honour does it 
reflect on herself, on her family, and on the 
bridegroom. Rich parents, though they accept 
what is offered them in the shape of kalim for 
their daughter, give her in turn a dowry either 
in reindeer or in furs ; the poor people dispos* 
ing of a daughter are content with a small 
kalim. The wife of a poor Ostiak often does 
not cost him more than the value of a rein- 
deer, which is about five assignat rubles; 
whereas the daughters of rich parents are fre- 
quently purchased at a price ranging from one 
hundred to two hundred rubles. 

According to the Shamanic creed, which the 
Ostiaks formerly confessed, and to which a 
great part of them still adhere, polygamy is not 
prohibited ; yet those who have accepted Chris- 
tianity confine themselves to one wife. Never- 
theless, though they are baptized, and every 
means taken to introduce among them Christian 
doctrine and feelings, they cling so pertinaciously 
to their old manners, usages and superstitions, 



OP SIBERIA. 23 

that an Ostiak cannot live without them. He 
may wear the symbol of redemption on his 
breast, but he follows his idolatrous prejudices 
in every act of his life. Finding himself 
unable to comply altogether with either ritual, 
the Pagan or the Christian, he endeavours 
to reconcile as well as he can his ancient faith 
with the new ; and, according to his judgment, 
the cross on his breast and the Shaitan in his 
pocket, effect this desired end. 

Shaitan is the household god of th&Ostiaks, 
and no family circle is complete without him. 
As the guardian of all they possess, he receives 
from them both worship and tribute. Being 
afraid, after admission to the rite of Christian 
baptism, to place the idol in his yourta^ the 
Ostiak conceals him in his pocket. During 
a search made on an Ostiak by a Russian 
employ^^ one of these idols accidentally fell 
out of his pocket ; and being immediately con- 
fiscated by the officer, was by him presented 
to me. 

This Shaitan idol was the figure of a man, 
carved in wood. The body was belted with a 
girdle, enclosing a small silver coin, and over 



24 REVELATIONS 

this was a dress of the Ostiak fashion, including 
no less than seven shirts and caftans, with ample 
hoods, and decorated with beads and other orna- 
ments. The Ostiaks who have not yet accepted 
Christianity openly, exhibit these idols in their 
yourtas. They are then much larger, and have 
a place assigned them in one of the comers. 
To Shaitan they first offer their meals, all the 
dishes being placed before him ; and they abstain 
from partaking of anything until the idol, who 
eats invisibly, has had enough ; whereupon the 
family then sit down with their guests. Some- 
times the master of the house, as a token of 
reverence and good-will towards Shaitan, be- 
smears the idol's lips with the food previously 
to helping himself. The Ostiaks, as I have 
before observed, also worship old larch-trees; 
but young ones come in for no share of their 
veneration. 

Their priests are designated Shamans, and 
being regarded as the depositories of the sacred 
mysteries of religion, as well as of prophecies, 
exercise a great influence on their minds. The 
caste of the Shamans are supposed to be versed 
in magic, and to possess the power of working 



OF I3IBERIA. 25 

miracles. That the ptiests resort to every kind of 
jugglery to encourage this belief may readily be 
conceived, and none of their disciples doubt that 
they stand in immediate and most intimate 
connection with the supernatural world. The 
priests are able — as I was assured, not only by 
Ostiaks, but also by Russians, who said they 
had been witnesses of the spectacle — to plunge 
the whole blade of a long knife into a man's 
breast, and draw it out without leaving a single 
trace of a wound. These wonder-workers can 
also chop all the limbs off a body, and then 
restore them uninjured. I was told that they 
burnt Russian paper-money before a number of 
spectators, and afterwards picked the notes out 
of the ashes entire. Many other marvels of a 
similar kind were related to me, but none came 
under my own observation, the Shamans taking 
good care, when selecting witnesses of these 
astounding performances, to require in the first 
place belief. 

In my own country these legerdemain tricks, 
and even much greater feats of jugglery, would 
be passed by unheeded, without astonishing any 
one, even of the lowest class, as our Jews, who 



26 REVELATIONS 

have possessed themselves of all these necro- 
mantic secrets, will exhibit them at any time for 
a few farthings. But it is not so in the land of 
the OstiakSy where not only the natives, but the 
Russians of all classes, hold them to be the result 
of supernatural agency. 

Belief in supernatural powers is general 
among the inhabitants of Northern Siberia. Not 
knowing the boundaries between what is real, 
probable, or possible, imagination takes un- 
bounded flights, predisposing the mind to believe 
what is marvellous. The very tales that are 
narrated in the domestic circle, the more 
wonderful and more improbable they appear, 
are the more eagerly listened to ; and, in fact, 
are alone considered worth hearing or reading. 
Many go so far as to assert that the Shamans 
possess the power of reconstructing the human 
body after it has been cut in pieces, and by 
some means known only to themselves, restoring 
it completely to life. I was told of a number 
of instances in which this resuscitation had 
been effected. 

The Shaman priests enjoy the reputation of 
being excellent soothsayers, and much weight is 



OF S1B£RLU 27 

attached to their predictions. Both Ostiaks and 
Russians, of all religious sects, frequently consult 
them about what is to happen to them in the 
most important proceedings of life, and such 
applicants are said to have been invariably 
satisfied, and never to have doubted, even for 
a moment, the truth of the revelations made to 
them. 

The Shamans keep up this reputation by 
making as sparing a use as possible of their 
faculty of soothsaying. It is not at everybody's 
call that they prophesy ; and when they do, it is 
after the most earnest and repeated solicitations ; 
besides, they must be liberally remunerated. No 
revelation of the future can be obtained from 
them at a lower price than the value of a 
reindeer, which is equivalent to five rubles, 
and is an amount which such poor people as the 
Ostiaks cannot well afford. Hence it is very 
rarely, and only in extraordinary cases, that the 
Shamans are applied to, and it may be chiefly 
owing to this policy that their character as 
soothsayers is held in such a high respect."* 

* Shamanism — ^the most flagitious system of imposture 
ever practised upon mankind — ^is founded on the alleged 



28 REVELATIONS 

This policy indeed operates as a charm on the 
mass of the people, and they are not able to 

agency of evil spirits, and, under a threat of their haunt- 
ing them in this world and in the next, the priests terrify 
their followers into everything they desire. According to 
Cottrell, the only boast of the Shamans is their power of 
doing mischief, and by this they extort from the credulous 
Mongols everything that a person under the influence 
of fear can perform. They are by their own desire 
buried in cross-roads, or some conspicuous spot, in 
order, as they assert, to have the greater power after 
death of tormenting the ill-fated population. They act 
as physicians, exorcists, and judges in cases of crime, 
among the northern tribes who hold their faith. Both 
men and women are initiated into what may be called 
a compound of sorcery and conjuring, rather than 
religion. In case of illness, they make use of incan- 
tations and sacrifices to drive out the evil spirits, as 
everything is attributed to their agency. They are 
supposed to be driven from the person diseased into 
some animal, which the Shaman designates. This 
process is attended by the most absurd ceremonies, 
accompanied with frequent and deep potations of the 
intoxicating kumiss. Spells and prayers, and a most 
unintelligible jargon, are employed to divine the fate 
of the person labouring under any illness for which they 
are called in. If the patient recover, the credit is theirs ; 
if not, they excuse the failure by discovering that the 
sacrifice was not acceptable to the evil spirit. 



OF SIBERIA. 29 

dispel it. In proof of this, I need only refer to 
one case, mentioned to me by a Russian ecdesi- 
astic, as having occurred to himself; and he was, 
I must say, in other respects clear-sighted enough, 
possessing intellectual powers far in advance of 
his flock. On one occasion, when on his tour of 
visitation to the parishes pladed under his juris* 
diction, he happened to be overtaken by a 
sudden snow-storm, and was obliged to seek 
shelter in a Ostiak yourta, situated a short 
distance from the road. He met with an hos- 
pitable reception, and shortly afterwards was 
informed by his guides that a celebrated Shaman 
of the country was just at that time under the 
same roof. As the snow-storm continued with 
unabated violence, the Russian prelate was com- 
pelled to remain in this company for several 
days ; and to beguile the time, rather than from 
any feeling of curiosity, he conceived the idea of 
requiring the Shaman to tell him his fortune. 
The latter, however, aware of the rank and 
functions of his feflow-guest, and perhaps fear- 
ing to excite persecution, had no inclination to 
accede to his wishes. But getting more intimate, 
the prelate succeeded in gaining his confidence, 



30 REVELATIONS 

and the Shaman was at last induced to grant 
his request. 

His prediction, I could observe, had produced 
a fearful impression on the prelate's mind ; and 
though many years had elapsed, he could not, 
when relating it to me, suppress the horror he 
felt at it. He most solemnly . assured me that, 
in addition to the incidents of his previous life, 
which the soothsayer had recounted to him 
exactly *as they had happened, he foretold 
the change that was then approaching in 
his situation; and predicted the death of 
his son, a most hopeful youth, as well as 
the marriage and subsequent death of his 
daughter. 

" Everything happened just as the Shaman 
predicted," added the prelate, in a mournfid tone. 
" I was transferred from my former place to 
another, an event I could not even have dreamt 
of; soon afterwards I lost my son; and my 
daughter married and is now dead. In short, 
everything, in its minutest particulars, was ful- 
filled as he had said it would occur. Nothing 
now is left to me but to wait calmly for the 
accomplishment of what still remains — and that 



OF SIBERIA. 31 

is my hour of death, which wiU not be long 
coming." 

The emotion by whicH he was agitated in 
relating all this, failed not, as if by contagion, to 
communicate itself to me. I saw that his 
' imagination was full of it ; and in order to dispel 
the train of melancholy associations it had con- 
jured up, I said : 

" It was unpardonable in the Ostiak Shaman 
to disseminate such prophecies, for although 
they must be false, they cause painful impres- 
sions." 

" The fault was mine, not his," replied the 
prelate. " He long refused to gratify my curi- 
osity, but being strongly pressed, he said : * The 
firA appearance of a grey hair on thy head 
shall be the signal for thy departure from this 
world.' " 

Whereupon I saw him smooth with his hand 
his long glossy beard and hair, both yet raven- 
black. 

" I am presently treading on the threshold of 
fifty," said he, " and yet, against all order of 
nature, not a single hair of my head has turned 
silvery. Manifestly, it has pleased God in His 



32 lii^VELATIONS 

mercy to prolong my life ; but it cannot be so 
much longer." 

During a great part of September, the 
attention of all here was mainly engrossed, first 
with the sufferings, and lastly with the death, of 
a young and amiable lady, a merchant's wife, 
the object of envy to all the women of the place, 
not so much from her great wealth as from the 
affection she received from her husband. He 
loved her, indeed, most devotedly, more like a 
lover than a husband. She died in her confine- 
ment, a victim to prejudice and a murderous 
mode of treatment. 

Neither midwives nor physicians are wanting 
at Berezov, practitioners being sent by govern- 
ment; but so deep-rooted are the ancient prejudices 
of the people, and so strictly are they adhered 
to, in the most critical periods of human life, 
that all the efforts made to eradicate them have 
hitherto proved ineffectual. Though a midwife 
or a physician may sometimes be called in, it is 
rather to tolerate their presence than to follow 
their advice. 

Here, the tyrannical custom will have it, that 
the poor patient before giving birth to her infant. 



OP SIBERIA. 33 

must swallow several doses of a barbarous nos- 
trum^ prepared of soap, gunpowder, and the like 
disgusting mixtures ; and in addition, her body is 
violently pulled to and fro, and tortured into all 
imaginaUe positions, producing a total exhaus- 
ti(m of strength. If the woman is strong, she 
may pass through such a barbarous ordeal with- 
out danger, but not so a delicate constitution. 
Immediatdy after the child is bom, the mother 
is fed mth fish, prepared in a peculiar manner 
for the occasion, and then conducted to a 
steam-bath (lojsma), whither the infant is also 
carried. 

In consequence of such treatment, our young 
and beautiful friend, after several days' suffering, 
ex{»red; I attended her frineral, which, as her 
husband was one of the wealthiest merchants at 
B^'ezov, was on a grand scale. The coffin was 
covered with crimson silk, ornamented with 
fringes of gold lace; and on arriving at the 
church, was placed on a bier in the nave. There 
her husband's family, which was very numerous, 
ranged in a circle round the coffin, and com- 
menced their lament' over the body. The 
strangers present now retired to some distance, 

VOL. II. D 



34 REVELATIONS 

making room for this circle of mourners, who 
were to chaunt the funeral coronach. 

This was commenced by the deceased mother- 
in-law, who raised a lugubrious cry, and with 
sobs and moans enumerated all the virtues and 
accomplishments of the deceased, showing how 
every member of the family must suffer from her 
loss. This strain being finished, the subject was 
taken up by the husband's sisters, each of whom 
lamented the departed lady in her own way, with 
intonations and expressions peculiar to herself. 
Meanwhile the spectators conomaented on the 
manner in which each mourner performed her 
part, speaking with the greatest fi'eedom and 
nonchalance. 

" How beautifully Madame N is lament- 
ing !" said a woman behind me to her nearest 
neighbour. ^^ None of her daughters can equal 
her. She is what I call a matchless 
woman !" 

" What we witness to-day is nothing,*' replied 
the other. " Had you but heard her at the funeral 
of her husband, you would have been delighted. 
Not only does she excel her daughters, but 
everybody in the whole town." 



OF SIBERIA. 35 

The tact was, that the studied lament of 

Madame N [unoduced quite a contrary effect 

from what diould have be^i aimed at. The 
sceaie, so grave and mournful by itself, was 
derived, by this p^onnance, of all its solem- 
nity, and sank into a mere theatrical representa- 
tion. Sudi loud manifestations of grief, by 
sobbing, moaning, and cries, fell all the more 
disccHdant on tiie ear of Uiose who heard Uiem, 
as tiiey indicated that the sorrow was fdgned ; 
and in this case it was well known that the 
deceased, though so esteemed by her friends, 
was not at all liked by tbe members at 
her frunily, who had long felt aggrieved at 
the love which her husband entertained for 
her. 

The husband's anguish was indeed poignant. 
I£s despair was really heart-rending. He was 
so sadly changed as to be scarcely recognised ; 
and for three days after his wife's death he did 
not touch a morsel of food. Drooping, and ashy 
pale, he wandered about distracted and iniconsol- 
able. The three children of whom he was 
now the sole parent, and who were too young to 
comprehend their own or their Other's loss, 

D 2 



36 REVELATIONS 

f(»nBed a touching feature in the picture. They 
could not understand the cries of their grand- 
mother and their aunts, the number of burning 
tapers which flashed around, and the other 
paraphernalia of the funeral ; and they stood 
uncoBcemed, and ahnost benumbed, in the 
midst of the circle, with gaping mouths, and 
eyes straying from one object to another, 
wholly unable to &thom what was going 
forward. 

The fun^^ ceremony completed, the body 
was carried to the 2^rutchai cemetery, to be 
buried in the husband's family vault ; and as it 
left the church, I joined the mournful procession. 
On our arrival at the cemetery, the theatrical 
lament of the relatives was repeated by the 
same performers, and the coffin was then let 
down into the grave. At this moment several 
handfuk of earth were thrown on the coffin, and 
a great confusion arose. The bereaved husband 
was about to precipitate himself into the grave, 
and was only prevented by the interference of 
his friends, who drew him away by force, and 
the grave was filled up as expeditiously as 
possible. 



OF SIBERIA. 37 

Everybody now went home, conversing on 
the way with his neighbours, as gaily as if 
returning from a dinner-party or a name's-day 
fete. I joined some members of the family 
whom I had seen so despairingly lamenting 
over the remains of their relative, and fowid 
tiiat, while so fresh from this mdancholy scene, 
their conversation was carried on calmly, and 
referred to indifferent and every-day topics. 

The Spaska Church is of brick, and is a 
large and stately edifice, which might even be 
called splendid, were it not for the hideous 
figures of saints which defece the interior. The 
heads of these worthies are monstrously large 
and of a faded ashy colour, and their bodies 
are shockingly lacerated and mangled. Fortu- 
nately the images are dad in dresses of silver 
and gold, decorated with precious stones, and 
thus a part at least of their horrible ugliness is 
concealed. 

An occurrence took place in the church 
during the fiineral, illustrative of the ideas and 
manners prevailing among the people of Berezov. 
There was a Russian woman residing in the 
town, who had been sent here a few years 



38 REVELATIONS 

previously, it is not known for what offence. 
Her dress was that of a Black Nun {tchemitza) 
of the Greek Church, and she affirmed that 
she had once belonged to that sisterhood. She 
was in the habit of talking a great deal of her 
pilgrimages to holy places and shrines, at some 
of which, according to her own account, she 
had even sojourned for years. She had visited 
the petchery subterranean crypts of the city of 
Kiov, and been to Irkutzk to adore the miracu- 
lous image of the Holy Virgin in the cathedral 
of that town. There seemed to be no sacred 
place or shrine in the whole extent of the 
Russian empire which she had not visited in 
the performance of her acts of devotion. It 
will scarcely be credited that this devout nun 
picked up and secreted a shawl, which in the 
excitement of the funeral slipped off the 
shoulders of a young lady. A young man 
walking dose behind them, saw her appropriate 
the garment, and as she was stealing out of 
the church, denoimced her as a thief, and 
compelled her to restore the shawl to its 
lawful owner. The spectators were so scandal- 
ized at the nefarious act, that they imanimously 



OF SIBERIA. 39 

forbade her ever entering again into the 
church, under pain of being forcibly ejected 
from it. 

The sentence of the public was soon reported 
to the ecclesiastical authorities, who, however, 
oould not be brought to concur in it, alleging 
that no one had a right to shut out a sinner 
from the means of supplicating God for pardon ; 
and therefore it was wrong to dose the doors 
of the church against this offender. These 
arguments, however, were far from allaying the 
irritation to which her conduct gave rise ; and 
for several days it continued to be the only 
topic of conversation among all classes Mean- 
while the pretended nun thought it prudent not 
to stir from her room; and was even obliged to 
apply for protection to the police. 

At Berezov, a theft is almost an unheard-of 
occurrence. Not one of the residents, either 
Ostiak or Russian, has ever been found guilty 
of such an offence. Whenever a theft has 
been committed, the guilty party has, on in- 
vestigation, invariably proved to be a stranger — 
one who, fostered amidst a higher civilization 
than the natives of this remote region can 



40 REVELATIONS 

boasty came here to difigrace it. Only such 
persons as have been banished from other 
parts have ever been detected in this crime, 
and they are not many in number. It is 
not only on this account that robberies are 
rare, but also from want of accomplioeSi 
and a place at which to dispose of stolen 
goods. Thus habits and circumstances com* 
bine to preserve the natives of Berezov from 
spoliation. 

No measures are taken, indeed, to provide 
for the security of property; and if such 
were required at all, I doubt whether any 
legislature^ even by the wisest enactment^ 
could institute effective safi^ards. But now 
all property is left imder the protection of 
the public faith, insomuch that houses are 
vend both of locks and bolts, and still are 
never plimdered. 

The land is held almost in common. As 
soon as the grass b^ms to spring up, all the 
cattle, oxen, and horses^ are driven out for 
pasture into the forest, there to remain as long 
as summer lasts. Only cows are kept in the 
town, for the sake of their milk. The in* 



OF SIBERIA. 41 

habitants do not see, nor care to see, the rest of 
their herds till the winter sets in, and the 
ground is covered with snow. Then they 
scour the wood in search of them, and not 
unfrequently find them at twenty versts from 
the town. Nevertheless, there is no instance 
known of an Ostiak or Russian having ever 
comntiitted the crime of cattle-stealing, though 
it might be done easily, and without the least 
danger. This is the more to be wondered at» 
as the Ostiaks are generally very remiss in 
accumulating provisions for winter ; and it often 
happens, in seasons of fitilure in himting and 
fishing, their only means of subsistence, that 
they are doomed to endure all the miseries of 
fiunine. 

Here it would not, I think, be out of place 
to say a few words respecting the domestic 
animals of this portion of the globe, in so far as, 
being allowed a larger share of freedom, they 
may be said to excel our own domesticated 
cattle by the superiority of their instincts. I 
had many opportunities of observing whole 
herds of cattle, after they had consumed the 
pasture in one place, migrate in a body to 



42 REVELATIONS 

another. Yet before they took this step, a 
large number, not unfrequently belonging to 
different proprietors, would congregate together 
on the bank of a river, none of them touching 
a blade of grass, but all standing as if they 
were in deliberation as to what should be done. 
At length, some of the strongest have plunged 
into the river and swimi across; others have 
then gone over — and finally, all have followed. 
In this way they frequently traverse a consider- 
able extent of water, till they reach some green 
island, with its grazing ground yet untouched, 
and when the grass on that island has been 
consimied, they again start, in the same manner, 
in search of a new pasture. Nor was I less struck 
by the maternal instinct, and I might almost 
say, sagacity showit by the cows of that country. 
But before touching on the subject, let me 
remind the reader of what I have before stated, 
that the artificial mode of rearing children, 
which is generally prevalent throughout Siberia, 
is extended also to the young ones of domestic 
animals. Mothers of Russian origin rarely nur- 
ture their children themselves; but from the 
moment of birth, accustom their infants to cow's 



OP SIBERIA. 43 

milk, for which purpose they employ a thin horn, 
the end of which they cover with the teat of a cow. 
Calves are reared in a simflar manner. No 
sooner are they bom, than they are taken away 
from the cow, and fed from the hmnan hand ; 
at first with the mother's milk, and after an 
interval of a few days, with a mess mieule of 
groats or flour, flavoured with milk. This nouri- 
ture is continued till the calf gains strength, and 
can subsist on coarser food. In the case of 
cattle, this artificial rearing is not without its 
advantages, one of which is, that a calf so reared, 
being wholly unknown to its mother, can be 
sent out on the same pasture-groimd, or even 
placed in the same shed with her, without any 
risk of its ridding the cow of her milk ; and 
another, that the cow, being separated so early 
from her offspring, never fails, year by year, to 
bring forth a calf. 

The cows appear to have an instinctive know- 
ledge that they will be deprived of their offspring; 
for as soon as they fed the hour of birth ap- 
proaching, they use all imaginable cunning to 
withdraw themselves from the observation and 
guardianship of man; and it is astonishing 



44 REVELATIONS 

what dexterous manoeuvres they will resort to 
with this view. 

When the period of calving draws near, the 
cow LS shut lip in a stable, wha;^ she is supplied 
with food and drink, and every care is taken to 
prevent her from escaping. This is the pro- 
vince of the mistress of the house, who is unre* 
mitting in her vigUance. 

At first the cow enjoys her food as usual, but 
after a few days' confinement, will no longer eat 
or drink. She is then, to recruit her appetite^ 
let out to inhale the fresh air, but carefully 
attended by the mistress, who, taught caution 
by experience, will not suffer her to pass out of 
sight. The cow walks at first with a slow step, 
with her head bent to the ground, as though 
she were thirsty, and lookin£^ for water. But 
her feigned wlae» l>J3y till she «. . 
favourable moment for escape, when she darts 
off at her fiill speed, clearing ditches and swim- 
ming streams with surprising nimbleness, and 
making straight for the forest, to hide herself in 
the thicket from the sight of man. Nor does 
she fix her asylum in the outskirts of the wood, 
but continues her flight for several versts, until 



OF SIBERIA. 45 

she supposes h^^sdf perfectly safe ; and then, in 
the same sagacious spirit, chooses the most con- 
venient pkce for calving. When the calf is 
bom, she covers it carefully with fallen leaves ; 
and to divert observation from the spot, proceeds 
to some distance to pasture. 

It is a matter of no small difficulty to bring 
the fugitive back, when she has once effected 
her escape. Concealed in some retired spot she 
tends the calf until it is grown up, and is able 
to rely on the swiftness of its feet. Then the 
mofjier ventures to go with the calf to her old 
grazing-ground. If she happens to be per- 
ceived, and notice is brought of her place of 
concealment, the owner proceeds with all the 
inmates of his house, some on horseback, others 
on foot, to give her a regular hunting ; and it 
often takes days and even weeks to effect her 
capture. 

The cattle are guided by an instinct some- 
what similar, and no less wonderful^ in their 
search for food in winter. Should the stock of 
hay or other fodder fail, their owners feel little 
concern, and only turn them loose to seek sus- 
tenance in the forest in which they wander to a 



46 RETELATIONS 

distance of several versts, and never fail to find 
where the grass is most abundant under the 
snow. They then scrape away the snow with 
their hoofs, and pasture on the spot till the 
return of spring. 



OF SIBERIA. 47 



CHAPTER III. 

A dream of home — Murder of a wife by her husband — 
Barbarous notions of matrimony — An Ostiak cradle 
— Zarutchai cemetery at night — Walk through an 
underwood — The ideal and the every-day world. 

One night, before going to bed, I prayed 
most fervently to God, that I might be permitted 
once more to see my children, though it should 
be in a dream; and the all-bountiful Father 
granted my prayer. I did see my dear Paulina and 
my dear little Victoria. But why was it that my 
dream proved such an imperfect illusion ? Why 
did I not enjoy the consolation in full, and the 
bliss of beholding my children in all its purity ? 
Why, even in dreams, when imagination, un- 
fettered by reason, is soaring free, does the soul 
preserve the impress of the sorrow which bows 



48 REVELATIONS 

it down ? What felicity would it have been to 
have lived again, though but in a dream, among 
my dear children, with a heart full of joyous 
feelings, and relieved for the moment from all 
sense of grief. And of a verity, the pleasures 
of real life are akin to dreams, as fleeting and 
as ideal. Nor are our sorrows and trials perma- 
nently painful. Often in the midst of the greatest 
anguish, suflicient to overwhelm the stoutest 
heart, I have e:8perienced a power of reaction 
which made me, as it were, equal to my weight 
of suffering ; and if it did not impart complete 
resignation, at least reconciled me to existence. 
When that aid has been wanting, I have felt 
an insupportable weakness, and been ready to 
sink under the load of hardship. At such 
times I would exclaim : " Oh, God ! if by this 
despondency I should offend Thee — offend Thee 
who art Almighty — mercifully pardon the in- 
firmity of a creature who is all feebleness ; or 
rather inspire my heaft with that assurance and 
courage, which we can expect only from Thy 
hand/' 

In the course of September an event occurred 
here, horrible to relate, and which filled the whole 



OF SIBERIA. 49 

town with consternation. One of the inferior 
officials of the police, a Russian^ became inspired 
with hatred of his handsome, good, and virtuous 
wife, heightened by the influence of another 
woman, whom he kept in his house. The un- 
happy wife suffered persecutions of all sorts from 
her reprobate husband, who refused her and her 
chfldren the commonest necessaries of life, while 
aU his income was spent on his mistress or in 
drinking— for he was an habitual drunkard. In 
the midst of this misery, his wife gave birth to 
a child. On such occasions, it is the custom 
for parties visiting the mother to present her 
with gifts in money, which, on their departure, 
are usually deposited on the bed. In this manner, 
a considerable sum had been presented for the 
poor woman's use ; and the visits being ended, 
the husband aware of the fact, demanded of her 
all the money, which she, having long been 
deprived of all assistance from liim, and consider- 
ing it as a donation from her friends to herself, 
refused to give up. This unexpected resistance 
on the part of his wife, who was very mild and 
obedient, and had never before opposed his 
wishes, put him in such a rage, that without the 

VOL. II. E 



50 REVELATIONS 

least regard to her state of health, he snatched 
up the ramrod of his musket, and beat her with 
it until she gave up the m(Hiey. 

Next day, in consequence of this iU-treatment, 
the wife died. The public felt horrified and 
indignant at the husband's brutal conduct, and 
severely commented upon it. But when at her 
funeral they saw him sorrowfully following her 
cofBn with loud lamentations, enumerating, on 
the one hand, all her excellent qualities, her 
patience, her habits of industry, and all her 
other virtues ; and, on the other hand, 
condemning himself for his passion and anger, 
and protesting his repentance for having so 
unjustly slain her, the affectionate mother of his 
children, they were not only disarmed of their 
just anger, but, on hearing him thus sponta- 
neously confess his guilt and do justice to the 
memory of his unfortunate wife, they even felt 
commiseration for him. 

With regard to matrimony, it must be said, 
that the notions prevalent on this subject at 
Berezov are still barbarous. It may be true 
that the inhabitants, who are of Russian extrac- 
tion, do not pay the so-called kalim — that is. 



OF SIBERIA. 51 

do not purchase their wives with money ; but it 
is the received custom that a woman, after she is 
married, is the absolute property of her husband, 
and nobody is held justified in calling him to 
account for any abuse of the right vested in. 
him. Such abuse, therefore, is by no means a 
rare occurrence, and I have heard many instances 
related of husbands who, either from drunken- 
ness or in a fit of passion, have murdered their 
wives. The public certainly are struck with 
horror at these atrocities, and the murderer is 
generally condemned for his inhumanity; but 
nobody comes forward to propose that the 
perpetrator of such a barbarous act should be 
brought before a court of justice, and rendered 
accountable for the crime he has committed 
against society. 

As September advanced, we were released 

from the constant presence of Madame X , 

who, to our great satisfaction, took other apart- 
ments. A day or two afterwards, a married 
Ostiak couple, who had been living at a distance 
of about fifty versts from Berezov, arrived in 
the town with a new-born infant, to have it 
baptized. The child was but six days old, and 

E 2 



52 REVELATIONS 

the mother, in spite of her long journey during 
the cold of an early winter, was looking as fresh 
and healthy as if no such event had happened. 
As they were not rich, the parents had some 
difficulty in finding sponsors for their child. 
Our landlord, therefore, an honest Cossack, 
oflfered his services for this Christian act, as 
godfather, and my servant stood as godmother. 

I approached the infant, curious to see it, and 
to ascertain in what manner cMldren are kept 
by the Ostiaks at that early period. The child 
was lying, not in a cradle, but in a hamper made 
of the bark of a tree. This receptacle was flat 
and narrow, so as scarcely to allow room for its 
occupant, and, in lieu of a mattress, was filled 
with dry powder from rotten trees. The piUow 
was formed of shavings of young willow. Over 
all was reindeer skin, on which the infant lay 
without any swaddles, or so much as a rag of 
linen, but merely wrapped over with this hairy 
coverlet. 

To the top of this hamper, on both sides, 
were attached two folds of leather, which opened 
when the child was to be taken out, and closed 
over it when within, forming as it were a cover 



OF SIBERIA. 53 

to the interior. On the child being laid in, this 
folding cover is fastened with straps, which pre- 
vents the infant from falling out, or throwing off 
the reindeer skin in which it is enveloped. The 
face of the babe was uncovered, so as not to im- 
pede respiration. 

During journeys, this hamper-cradle, with the 
child inside, is thrown over the shoulders of one 
of the parents, and secured by a leathern strap, 
in which way it is carried a great distance. 

The willow shavings of the pillow are exceed-^ 
ingly sofl. They are obtained by passing the 
edge of the knife lightly over the surface of 
young branches, so as to produce tiny threads or 
fibres, which, when collected in sufficient quan- 
tity, serve the Ostiaks as towels. With these 
they wipe their face and hands when they wash; 
and wipe their new-bom children after bathing 
them in cold water in summer, or rubbing their 
tender limbs with snow in winter. 

The Ostiak mothers are accustomed to nur- 
ture their children themselves, and do not 
imitate the example of Russian mothers, who, as 
I have before stated, feed them with cow's milk. 
In other parts, as in the colony at Irkutzk, the 



54 REVELATIONS 

new-born child of a Russian is given to a 
Takouta woman to nurse ; and when old enough, 
learns to read and write, after which he is 
brought up to the fur trade, and his education is 
finished. 

The days in October grew very short. At 
four o'clock it was completely dark. I felt this 
diminution of the light of day very much, and 
the more so from not being able to work on 
cauvas by candle-light-a work of which I am 
extremely fond, and which was almost my sole 
amusement here. 

Madame X brought us a hare which she 

said she had herself shot, that she might have 
the pleasure of presenting it to us. In the envi- 
rons of Berezov there are immense numbers of 
hares, but the Russians do not eat them, as they 
hold the flesh of the hare to be unclean, and 
consequently this excellent game is never seen 
on their tables. Nobody kills them, and there- 
fore they absolutely swarm. 

On my giving the hare to our landlady to 
roast for our dinner, I saw her shrug her 
shoulders, at the same time making a wry face 
and spitting on the floor, as if a most disgusting 



OF SIBERIA. 55 

thing had been plaoed in her hand. This, how- 
ever, did not make us enjoy our dinner the less 
when the hare was served. 

When it grew perfectly dark, and our canvas 
work could no longer be continued, we laid it 
reluctantly aside, and went out for a walk. 
Josephine, however, discouraged partly by cold 
and partly by darkness, soon returned home ; but 
as I wanted exercise, and solitude perhaps still 
more, I continued my walk further. 

I went as far as the Zarutchai Church, 
situated, as I formerly mentioned, beyond the 
precincts of the town, and separated from it by 
a deep ravine. This is a most retired and lonely 
spot, with a cemetery, surrounded by a venerable 
wood of larch*trees, which having survived 
hundreds of years, a long epoch of importance 
and renown, and having once, as tradition says, 
formed a sacred grove of the Ostiaks, seemed 
not unlike mighty potentates when shorn of all 
their power and dignity, and with nothing 
around them but crumbling tombs, pensively 
musing over the vanity of worldly glory. 

The living generation, as though from respect 
for the last resting-place of those who were 



56 REyELATIONS 

sleeping, and who were not to awake until the 
sound of the Archangel's trumpet, deemed it 
right to remove their own habitations to some 
distance, though raising here an edifioe for 
prayer and contrition, to be, as it were, a solemn 
threshold, beyond which, through the medium 
of death, their mortal life entered on immor- 
tality. 

Night, silence, solitude, and the rivulet with 
its indistinct murmuring at the foot of the hill, 
an appeared like a sombre vefl of moummg over 
the snow-white garment of the place. The full 
moon, npw above the horizon, bathing her orb 
in the dark-blue abyss, gleamed from on high 
on this secluded scenery of the nether world. 
The pale limar light shed on every object, im- 
parted to the picture an unusual and most 
solemn aspect, more particularly when its rays 
fell on the bare towering trunks and lea& 
less branches of the ancient larch-trees — monu- 
ments of the past, amidst vestiges of a new 
civilisation, amidst tombs composed of stone, of 
marble, and of iron, with the church watching 
over all. The scene, at that solemn hour, 
seemed to open to me a glimpse of the secret 



OF SIBERIA. 57 

purposes of the creation, speaking in a tongue 
unintelligible but to the spirit, but full of 
significance. 

Oh ! how marvellous was the light of that 
night, with its rainbow colours reflected from 
the mica-slate windows of the church, and from 
that gold cross raised high on its cupola ! How 
the strongest rays of light were concentrated 
around it, insomuch that it alone was seen above, 
as in the clouds, shedding the brightest light on 
aU this earth around. The view sunk deep into 
my soul, awakening an infinity of associations 
and feelings which it is diflScult to give an 
account of My thoughts plunged into this 
abyss, seeking after the unfathomable future; 
but I soon perceived how incompetent I was to 
pursue the subject, and how it teemed with 
mystery and doubt. Soon indeed I felt that 
my reflections were becoming confused. I fell 
on my knees, tears gushed in a torrent down 
my cheeks, and my feelings burst forth in 
prayer. Then I learnt how feeble and yet how 
presumptuous is man, and was taught to seek 
all my light and all my solace only from on 
high. 



58 REVELATIONS 

More than two hours I remaned on this 
lonely spot, before I became sensible that it 
would be imprudent to stay longer, and that I 
must now return home. But it was hard, I 
thought, to suffer this interruption, to be obliged 
to tear myself away from objects so much in 
keeping with my thoughts — the sombre trees, 
the murmuring stream, and the vast wilder- 
ness — a world which was so beautiful and so 
divine, and in which every one of the created 
things addressed the mind in harmonious ac- 
cents, in that spiritual language in which the 
Creator is wont to speak to His creatures, clearly 
and truly, though so silently. It was hard to 
exchange such a world for one of man's con- 
trivance, so narrow, so distorted, and so odious. 

In order to prolong the pleasure of these 
agreeable impressions, and not to sink them at 
once in the turbid pool of common-place life, 
instead of taking a direct way to the town, I pro- 
ceeded farther beyond the cemetery, and traversed 
the woodlands extending along the banks of the 
Soswa to its confluence with the Waygulka, 
forming part of the great forest by which 
Berezov is encompassed. The whole of these 



OF SIBERIA. 59 

environs is overgrown with underwood, bushes 
of juniper, dwarfish larches, and diminutive firs 
and cedars. The trees here are constantly felled 
for the use of the inhabitants, and from being in- 
vaded by man, have evidently lost their naturally 
graceful form, and degenerated into defective 
crooked stumps. Their appearance contributed 
much to cool my imagination, which shortly 
before had perhaps been too much exalted. 

After I had wandered awhile through the 
bush, I began at last to feel, as my companion 
did before, that it was too cold and too dark to 
prolong my ramble, and turned my steps to- 
wards the town. Soon I perceived the glim- 
mering of Ughts from the windows of the houses, 
and almost regretted that home was so near, as 
it brought me again within the range of human 
habitations. Finally, I found myself within the 
four walTs of my dwelling. Instead of the 
deep-blue firmament strewn with stars, I saw 
overhead only wooden planks — our humble ceil- 
ing. Instead of the nocturnal beacon of the sky, 
pouring a silvery stream of light on all quarters 
of the horizon, a tallow candle stood on the 
table. Instead of the fi-eshness of the balmy 



60 REVELATIONS 

air perfumed with odorous exhalations from the 
larches and the cedars, a disagreeable rancid smell 
from some fat dish placed in the oven to be 
warmed, saluted my olfactory nerves. Instead of 
the calm whispering murmur of the river rolling 
its stream of water over its narrow bed, the 
murmur of countless hosts of cockroaches, which 
at pght come out of their hiding-places and 
cover the walls, made my ears tingle, while the 
sound of their crawling movements resembled a 
pelting thunder-shower. 

But this was not all — I was overwhelmed 
with questions. Where had I been ? What 
had I been doing ? And in the end, I got 
admonished for my indiscretion, and, I must 
own, most deservedly. No one should outstep 
the bounds of the circle within which it is his 
destiny to move. What matter to him, though 
some other world flit for a moment before his 
mind's eye ? Can that short moment of en- 
chantment compensate for the bitterness of 
every day's experiences ? — a life intertwined with 
our manners, and wrought out amidst circum- 
stances familiar from infancy ? 

Despite the imwillingness with which I crossed 



OF SIBERIA. .61 

the threshold, on entering the room, I did not 
find the genial heat of the stove at all too 
much^ my limbs being benumbed with cold ; 
and even the smell which at first had so 
disagreeably affected me, ceased gradually to 
be offensive, after I had appeased my hunger 
with the savoury food taken out of the stove ; 
so that we speedily become reconciled to the 
routine of existence. 



62 REVELATIONS 



CHAPTER IV. 

ILerds of reindeer — Capture of a horse — Scarcity of 

water — ^Novel employment for dogs — Freezing of 

rivers — ^Excursion' in sledges — Wave-like surface of 
the ice— An encounter. 

As October advanced, the frost increased in 
intensity. Herds of reindeer returned from their 
summer pasture in the Uralian mountains, 
stalking with stately gait along the banks of 
the Soswa, the hard, frozen soil serving them 
for a highway. It was a charming sight to 
look upon large herds of these useful animals, 
bearing, as it were, a forest of antlers over their 
heads, and moving on through the woodlands 
like a compact army. 

One morning our landlord, after much 
trouble, protracted through several days, per- 



OF SIBERIA. 63 

formed a great task — he succeeded in catching 
one of his horses in the forest, where a great 
numher had been at pasture the whole summer. 
During this interval they wander freely in the 
woods, without any restraint, and commonly 
turn wild to such a degree, that, when the 
winter sets in, their owners have the greatest 
possible difficulty in catching them, and even 
when caught it is hard to bring them to any- 
thing like subjection. 

The successful capture of the horse filled the 
whole house with joy, and this not without 
sufficient reason. The river Soswa had now 
retreated to its narrowest bed, and the minor 
streams near the town, were either frozen or 
dried up; consequently, not a drop of water 
could be got anywhere, except at a distance of 
a verst ; and, in the absence of a horse, all the 
water had to be fetched from that distance in 
buckets. I must here observe, that the town 
does not boast a single well. The inconveni- 
ence arising from want of water is not so much 
felt during summer, as the river, inundating 
widely all the low ground, and overflowing 
all the ravines, brings it nearly to the door of 



64 REVELATIONS 

every house; but in winter, the inhabitants 
are exceedingly distressed from this cause, and 
in case of fire there appears no hope whatever of 
rescue. The great fire of 1817, which caused 
so much destruction at Berezov, is well remem- 
bered by the inhabitants ; and even in the 
current year, the town ran great risk of being 
entirely burnt down. Fortunately, it was saved ; 
but several government offices and public 
archives, and the Russo-Greek monastery, 
became one heap of ashes. 

In my opinion, wells might easily be dug 
at Berezov, the water being usually foxmd not 
very deep beneath the surface of the earth. 
What, however, I doubt is, whether means 
could be found to prevent their waters fi-eezing 
in winter. 

Those Berezovians who have no horses — and 
they are many in number — employ dogs to 
bring their supply of water to their houses. 
Indeed, it is painful to reflect to what an extent 
man is apt to tax the physical power of these 
faithful and obedient guardians of his house- 
hold. The dog, on such occasions, is put to 
the sledge, and has to draw a huge cask of 



OF SIBERIA. 65 

water, often up-hill, for a considerable distance. 
The poor animal, thou^ he may be of the 
larger breed, exerts himself to his utmost, 
stretching forth the whole length of his body 
in dragging the load along. I saw some people 
cmd enough, when the dog was thus loaded, 
to add the weight of their own bodies, and 
while sitting on the sledge, flog the sinking 
animal in the most merciless manner. Our 
house, which was situated on a hill, not far 
from the rivCT, overlooked the sloping ground 
bebw; and I often had the misfortune to 
witness with my own eyes, from my window, 
these revolting exhibitions. 

As the frost increased in intensity, smaller 
rivers were entirely frozen over. The Soswa, 
too, began to be covered with ice. This river, 
from the excessive rapidity and volume df its 
waters, did not freeze, I was told, till the cold 
was at least seventeen degrees below the freezing 
point. The interval before the complete freezing 
of the river I found most irksome, interrupting, 
as it did from five to six weeks, all communica- 
tion by the post. The reason of this long in- 
terruption is that the diflferent rivers do not 

VOL. 11. F 



66 REVELATIONS 

freeze simultaneously^ and all intercourse by 
water is cut off, and there is no road by land- 
The deprivation is the greater, as writing affords 
a sweet consolation. The heart in the course of 
time becomes habituated to the fortnightly inter- 
vals during which the post goes and returns. 
Human nature thus, gradually, adapts itself to 
circumstances. 

As the frost increased, the people of Berezov 
repaired with great curiosity to the river side, to 
see the water freeze; the period, which inter- 
venes between their transition from the fluid 
state into that of solidity, being regarded with 
great interest. The only road, which had pre- 
viously led to and from Berezov, is then de- 
stroyed, and the town is thenceforth cut off for 
some time from all communication with the rest 
of the world. 

Though the bulletin of the state of the river 
was circulated every moment through the town 
with the utmost accuracy, and with as great 
expedition, and though there was nothing 
known of which I could not have made 
myself cognizant, still I could not help direct- 
ing my steps, like the rest, to the banks of the 



OF SIBERIA. 67 

Soswa, to see with my own eyes in what state 
it was. 

On my approaching it, I heard from time to 
time a deep rumbling sound, not unlike that of 
thunder at a distance, or of heavy chariots rolling 
over a pavement I saw the water on both 
sides of the river, dose to the banks, already 
frozen ; and only in the middle of the stream a 
current was flowing in the narrow bed, carrying 
onwards huge masses of ice. These it was that, 
by crushing and knocking against each other, 
produced the rumbling noise I have described. 
Masses accumulating on the shores, or pressed 
by succeeding floes when unable to pass farther, 
after a few minutes of struggle, became station- 
ary, and soon formed a part of the frozen pack. 
In this manner, the surface, not yet covered, was 
gradually diminished; and the probable hour, 
when the whole river would be frozen over, was 
foretold by some of the more experienced spec- 
tators with as great confidence as skilftd physi- 
cians designate that at which a patient's pulse 
must cease to beat. 

On coming home, I found my chin was frost- 
bitten, and I experienced besides a severe pain in 

F 2 



68 REVELATIONS 

my hand ; so that I was unable to hold my pen. 
This, I thought, was an attack of neuralgia. 

Scarcely was I seated, when in came Madame 

X , bringing intelligence that the river 

Waygulka was entirely frozen ; and, as she had 
her own sledges and a horse, and was eager to 
take a drive, she requested my company in the 
excursion. I most willingly assented to her pro- 
position, and having muffled myself with shawls, 
and put on a warm pelisse, went, thus armed 

against the frost, with Madame X , hoping 

I should enjoy a most delightfdl airing on ice as 
even and smooth as a table. 

Having from my early years been used to 
carriage exercise, I much longed for so rare 
a pleasure here, and I even felt the necessity of 
it for the benefit of my health, as I know from 
long experience that a drive does me much more 
good than even the longest walk on foot. The 
eagerness, with which I accepted Madame 

X 's proposition, could therefore but be 

equalled by the pleasure with which I set out on 
our trip. But at the very outset, at the first 
sight of her sledge, I could not help experiencing 
some disappointment. It appeared to be of so 



OV SIBERIA. 69 

singular a shape and oonstruction, for though 
the external appearance resembled that of the 
dedges used in my own country, it was not, 
like them, hollow in the middle, but the cavity 
which in our sledges serves us as a receptacle for 
the feet, was completely planked over. I was 
quite at a loss how to take my seat in a vehicle 

80 strangely constructed, until Madame X 

informed me, that the seat was taken sideways, 
so that the feet hung down, and holes were cut 
in the wooden frame, on both sides, for the 
accommodation of those who might be afraid of 
sliding down when placed in that position, and 
these holes afforded a hold for the feet. 

I took this uncomfortable seat, according to 
her directions, and as well as I could. But 
another difficulty now arose. We had no 

driver ; and Madame X proposed to take 

his place. This, doubtless, was very civil on 
her part, but was far from pleasing to me. I 
was not ignorant, however, of her pretensions to 
proficiency in manly exercises, and perfect 
knowledge* of everything ; and as the worst 
that could happen would perhaps, as I thought, 
be an upset, I did not long hesitate to intrust 
myself to her charioteering. 



70 REVELATIONS 

Luckily, we were not upset — not once. We 
at &st drove along the banks of the Waygulka, 
and finding them everywhere frozen, ventured 
on the sheet of ice in the middle of the river ; 
but here, instead of the ice being smooth and 
even, as I had fancied, we found it rugged in 
the extreme, the water having congealed in the 
shape of waves — a circumstance which could 
not but render our progress extremely un- 
pleasant, the sledge being jostled and thrown 
about on all sides. 

On our traversing these protuberances of 
solid waves, at every step the horse made they 
broke under his feet, leaving deep apertures be- 
hind, not only disagreeable to look at, but 
which might have caused a serious accident, 
particularly as we were the first who had ven- 
tured on the river, and no . sledge had passed 
that way before us. 

I begun at last to grow heartly tired of this 
irksome pleasure trip ; and to say truth, I had 
every reason to apprehend, that in driving at 
random over unexplored and pathless places, the 
ice would bveak, and we should sink into the 
river, sledge and all. My companion, how- 
ever, appeared not to mind that, and was only 



OF SIBERIA. 71 

rejoiced at being able on this occasion to give a 
proof of her courage and dexterity in masculine 
exercises. For my own part, rather than 
betray my timidity, I offered no opposition to 
her proceedings, and so we foolishly let our 
sledge bounce from one rugged wave to another 
amid the crackling and breaking of the ice, 
the noise of which was like the report of fire- 
arms. 

Most luckily for me, Madame X caught 

sight of another sledge, which was drawn by 
reindeer, and immediately drove towards it. 
We found it occupied by the police director's 
wife, who was also taking an airing ; and 

Madame X being, whenever amusement 

was concerned, as inflammable as a lucifer- 
match, she began to envy her neigKbour's rein- 
deer, and would have got into the other sledge, 
but felt embarrassed what to do with her own, 
and with me. On perceiving this, I proposed 
that she should take her seat with the direc- 
tor's wife, and leave her sledge in my charge. 
She eagerly jumped at my suggestion, and I 
no less eagerly grasped the horse's reins ; and 
instantly turning towards the land, I found an 
even and more convenient road, on which I 



72 REVELATIONS 

proceeded safely to the town. Finding no 
pleasure whatever in traversing the streets, I 
repaired straight to my lodgings, where I 
alighted, cold and tired, but with the blood 
circulatii^ more briskly in my frame. 



eP SIBERIA. 73 



CHAPTER V. 

Drive ia a narta — ^Peculiarities and use of the reindeer — 
Their pasture — ^Their herds in the Ural — Use of the^ 
skins and flesh — ^Their swiftness and powers of en- 
durance — Manner of travelling in Siberia — Fish-skin 
and mica-slate windows — Fuel — Tremulous state 
of the atmosphere — Three hours of daylight — No 
clock in town — Manner of notifying the hours — ^Tale- 
telling party — Two Ostiak tales— The Hunters — Old 
Friend's Reindeer. 

On the 5th of November, the frost was 30° 
Reamur. One of the citizens obligingly called 
on us with a narta — a sledge drawn by rein- 
deer — ^inviting us to take a drive in it. We 
accepted the offer most cheerfully ; and, wrapped 
up as warm as possible in such a severe frost, 
we started on our excursion, with him for our 
driver, and a most gallant and experienced one 
he proved. 



74 REVELATIONS 

The reindeer is much about the size of a 
well-grown calf of two years. Its head and 
hoofs are similar to those of our homed cattle ; 
the hair under the chin hangs like that of a 
goat ; and the tail is short. In shape, especially 
when seen from behind, it resembles a deer, 
though the latter, with its long slender legs, is 
much more elegant. Its magnificent antlers 
constitute the reindeer^s principal beauty. Its 
hair is white or chestnut^ or a mixture of 
both those colours. 

The reindeer sheds its antlers annually, and 
they are as often renewed, with the addition of 
a fresh branch every year. During the period 
of shedding, the animal is very feeble, and is 
not employed for any hard work. 

The sledges for which reindeer are used, are 
of a different shape and size from thol^ drawn 
by horses. They are called nartas, and are 
much longer than the common sledges,, which 
are employed for heavy loads. There is nothing 
clumsy or cumbrous in their construction, but 
everything is light and elegant, and propor- 
tioned to the animal's strength, which is not 
great. The two lateral polozy (slides) under- 
neath, are more distant from each other, to 



OF SIBERIA. 75 

obviate upsetting, and the upper part is bridged 
over with thin light boards, evenly fitted, and 
smooth as a table, with no cavity, as in com- 
mon sledges, for the feet ; and it appears like a 
wooden litter laid on slides. In travelling, the 
litter serves as a seat, and the feet are let 
down on the side. There are neither steps to 
support the feet, nor anything to lay the hand 
on in case of upsetting ; and the traveller bas 
absolutely nothing to depend on for security, 
but his own dexterity and caution. 

If there is any luggage to carry, it is placed 
on this upper wooden structure, and covered 
with skins of reindeer, fastened with ropes. 
Tied up in this manner, it is safe from falling 
out, even if the narta should be upset. The 
narta is commonly drawn by three reindeer, of 
which only one, in the middle, has reins attached 
to his antlers, and whichever way it is directed, 
the others obey the impulse. A brace over the 
neck, with a leathern girdle under the belly, 
and attached to the narta^ is the only harness 
required. 

The reindeer being in this manner put to 
the sledge, the driver takes his seat sideways, 
and is provided with a thin, but sufficiently 



76 REVELATIONS 

strong pole, from eight to ten feet long, covered 
with iron at one end, with which he is enabled 
to stop the deer when needed, by thrusting the 
capped end into the snow, and winding the i^ins 
around it. The deer are so light that they run 
over the surface of the snow when it is hardened 
with frost ; and, in this respect, may be said to 
be most invaluable in this part of the earth, 
where there exist no regular roads, and where 
every traveller must make one for himself. 
They run with the rapidity of the wind ; neither 
hills nor valleys stop thaoa, nor make any 
difference in thek speed. In going down hill 
they are even obliged, the higher the hill is, to 
run the faster, as the very speed of the narta^ 
when pressed downwards by its own weight, 
compds them to accelerate their pace, or their 
legs, which are thin and slender, would be 
broken. 

The drivers here either cannot or have not 
skill enough to manage the deer as we do our 
horses. They never have power to abate their 
speed in turning angles or passing perilous 
places, and indeed the deer can sooner be 
brought to a sudden stop than made to slacken 
his vdocity when in full career. 



OF SIBERIA. 77 

On taking our seats in the narta^ I ex- 
perienced, when we started, a disagreeable 
sensation, a sort of giddiness, such as is felt in a 
swing. The deer set off as if they strove to 
outstrip the winds, which, in so far, might not 
have been unpleasant, had it not been accom* 
panied by a sense of fear ; for we could not forget 
that we were entirely at the mercy of these 
animals, with nothing like a rational control 
to direct their course. 

After proceeding some distance, and seeing 
that, though cast 'to and fro, and up and down, 
the imrta was not overturned, I began to recover 
confidence, and my fears subsided. On our 
way, however, we came up with a sledge that 
had been upset. It was that* of the police 
master's wife, who had been enjoying a similar 
airing. But oiu: valiant conductor confidently 
assured us that we should 'not meet with any 
such misajiventiure — and he spoke truth. 

Upsets indeed are, on the whole, rare ; and 
this may be accounted for by the extraordinary 
length and breadth of the base of the narta, the 
latter of which is equal to the dimensions of 
the upper portion. Still, considering the nature 
of the ground on which they are used, it is 



78 REVELATIONS 

impossible not to expect some accidents; but 
even when overtujTied, the narta^ in consequence 
of its peculiar construction, usually rights itself 
without any aid on the part of the traveller. If, 
however, any one loses his seat on the nartay he 
must employ all his agility to regain it before 
the reindeer sets off ; for should he fail to do 
so, he will have to make his weary journey 
home on foot. 

The food of the reindeer is moss, similar to 
the Icelandic moss. No provision whatever is 
made for their maintenance, but they go in 
herds to browse on the moss wherever they can 
find it in the forest. The persons owning them 
keep regular shepherds to attend them. These 
shepherds have their tchoums, or tents, on the 
spot where they graze, and remove from place 
to place as the herds change their pasture- 
ground. The reindeer is gifted with a peculiar 
instinct for the discovery of localities abounding 
in moss ; and whatever may be the depth of 
overlying snow, they scrape it away till they 
reach the moss, and thus depend for their 
subsistence, not on man, but entirely on them- 
selves. A herd having found some tract of 
moss and scraped off the snow, makes no 



OF SIBERIA. 79 

fkrther explorations, but remains th^e till the 
moss entirely fails. This, however, does not 
often happen, the moss-pasture being found 
most everywhere in abimdance. 

An owner of reindeer, intending to proceed 
on a journey, orders as many as are qeeded to be 
brought to him from the forest ; and on return- 
ing home, sends them back to tibe herd. It is 
considered an utter impossibility to keep them in 
stables. They receive nothing at the hand of 
man. Even during a journey no fodder is car- 
ried, but when himgry, they are unharnessed, 
. and driven to some place where pasture may be 
found. To prevent their being lost in the wood, 
they are tied with a long rope to a post, and the 
traveller waits till their hunger is appeased. 

This mode of travelling is extremely tiresome, 
as the baiting of the deer often occupies several 
hours. In order to obviate this loss of time and 
the discomfort arising from it, those who pos- 
sess herds are accustomed, before they set out, 
to dispatch previously a troop of deer, as 
relays, to different stations ; and those who have 
not a sufficient number of their own, hire some 
for this purpose. 

The reindeer can endure hunger and fatigue 



80 REVELATIONS 

very |ong, and commonly run from twenty to 
thirty versts without stopping ; but no sooner 
do they find their strength faiHng, or their driver 
exacting more than they can perform, than they 
fall flat on the snow for rest. No amount of 
castigation will induce them to rise until they 
have sufficiently recruited their strength, but 
then they voluntarily get up. Travellers may, 
however, without much over-tasking their powers, 
go as far as a hundred versts before stopping 
to bait them; but no considerate person will 
oblige them to run more than about fi% versts. 
The reindeer is, from his nature, born, as it 
were, expressly for these northern regions. He 
cannot bear any degree of heat ; and hence at 
the dose of April, or the beginning of May, 
before the spring comes on, or the snow thaws, 
the owners of herds make out a list of the old 
and young ones, and having marked each, send 
them in charge of their shepherds to the Ural 
Mountains. Amid these mountains, more par- 
ticularly on the chain bordering the Frozen 
Ocean, the snow never disappears, and intense 
cold prevails throughout the year. Here there 
are no mosquitoes, which the reindeer cannot 
bear ; and the herds remain on the mountains 



OF SIBERIA. 81 

until the return of autumn, when the rivers and 
swamps have frozen over, and the snow is 
covering the ground. Then they return to their 
former winter quarters, where their services 
render them invaluable. 

The reindeer may be said to be the greatest 
boon conferred on Siberia. The fur is used by 
the inhabitants instead of linen, clothing and 
bedding ; it is also made into boots and caps. 
The skin of the young reindeer, which is in 
common use, and in commerce is known by the 
name pieshki, excels far the softness and the 
lustre of the fur, and forms lighter and more 
elegant garments. With this, ladies' mantles 
and cloaks are lined, and men use it for caps 
and trioushM (three-eared hoods). The skin of 
a reindeer^ a year old, known by the name of 
neplouy^, is used for making wide touloubs, or 
shoubas, called also yagi. 

The Tieplouye skins have a short and lustrous 
hair. The chestnut-coloured alone are used for 
yagi^ as an upper covering. The hair is turned 
outwards, and the inside is commonly lined with 
flannel, and sometimes also with some other 
inferior fur. There is a great demand for this 
sort of fur at the fairs of Irbit and Tobolsk. 

VOL. II. G 



82 REVELATIONS 

The chesnut neplouy^ and the pieshki are 
held in great estimation, and form the principal 
article of the export trade ; the darker or the 
brownCT they are, the more they are esteemed, 
and the higher prices they fetch in the naarket. 
The white and the striated are devoted solely to 
home consumption. 

Reindeer fleshy if not lean, is savomy enough, 
taating like venison, with the flavour of an elk. 
The Russians, however, are averse to eating it ; 
and even whoi they use it a& food, do not like 
it to be known, there being a prejudice against 
it among the people, merely because it is the 
favourite food of the Ostiaks. Contempt of 
that subjugated race, and of anything belonging 
to them, is geaeral among the Russians ; inso- 
much, that any admixtiu'e of Ostiak blood in 
diildren is considered a degradation. Reinde^ 
tongues are of exquisite flavour and mxich 
esteemed ; when smoked, they are exported to 
Tobolsk, Moscow, and St. Petersburgh. 

The reindeer is an indispensable animal with 
the Ostiaks and Samoieds ; and its absence is 
felt as grievously as that of a member of the 
femily. With the reindeer at his disposal, the 
inhabitant of the North may be said to be swift. 



OF SIBERIA. 83 

quick, free, and valiant — fit to traverse a distance 
of hundreds and even thousands of miles, with- 
out fatigue or fear, but without him he is as 
unable to move from the spot as if deprived of 
his limbs and his feet. Nor is this the only 
benefit he derives from the reindeer. When he 
is unsuccessful in himting and fishing, it becomes 
his only means of subsistence. Industrial pursuits 
and commerce may, at such dismal periods, 
enable the Russian part of the population to 
ward off the evil by the importation of corn and 
other necessary provisions ; but the poor Ostiaks 
and Samoieds, who have become but little 
acquainted with traffic, and never yet depended 
on foreign produce, have no security whatever 
from famine, but the ever-available reindeer. 

But to return to our excursion. Our reindeer 
were brave, and the skill of our conductor in 
managing them unquestionable. Yet despite all 
this, I could not help wishing ourselves at home, 
as it was exceedingly cold. Though I had taken 
care, before we set out, to wrap myself up in a 
bundle of warm clothes, furs and shawls, and 
had on my feet thick worsted woollen hoots, 
knit in the fashion of stockings, in which I had 
made my journey through Siberia ; yet nothing 

G 2 



84 REVELATIONS 

could keep out the piercing cold ; and though 
my boots with their thick leathern covering 
seemed proof against frost, my feet were as 
benumbed as if they were naked — perhaps the 
more so from hanging down from the sledge, 
and being thus exposed to the external action of 
the air. 

But observing the gratification our driver 
derived from the fleetness of his reindeer, and 
the exhibition of his own skill as Jehu, I did 
not request him to abridge his career ; and it 
was not tiU after a protracted drive that we 
reached home. Fearing that my feet would be 
frost-bitten, I immediately, on my retiun, put 
them into a pin of cold water ; but it appeared 
that I had nothing to apprehend, and their 
numbness fortunately proved to be but mo- 
mentary. 

When women and invalids, or persons 
peculiarly sensitive to cold, are starting on a 
long journey, it is usual to sipround the narta 
on all sides with boards, giving it the appearance 
of a chest. Over this, a piece of course thick 
doth is extended in the shape of a tent, with 
openings on each side, by which to enter and 
emerge from the vehicle; and these openings 



OF SIBERIA. 85 

again are secured by curtains. The inside of the 
sledge is then stuffed with feather-beds and 
pillows, and on these the traveller lies covered 
with a warm blanket of fur. Throughout Siberia 
— at least in those parts which I have visited — no 
other mode of travelling in sledges is known, 
except in the reclining position I have de- 
scribed ; such being the taste of the natives. 
The Siberians cannot even conceive, how any 
one can travel otherwise with comfort. 

It is the custom at Berezov, when the winter 
has set in, for every householder to take out all 
fixe glass windows, except in the more stately 
apartments, and to replace tiiem with windows 
of fish skin. It is believed that the latter 
material admits less cold ; and that, besides, they 
have this advantage, that the thick incrustation 
of ice covering them, can be scraped off with a 
knife. This, however, failed to reconcile me to 
its use ; and, moreover, though windows of fish- 
skin may be made to transmit light, I felt sure 
that nothing could be seen of what was passing 
outside ; and, therefore, I insisted that our glass 
windows should not be removed. I must, how- 
ever, confess that I did not gain much by my 
obstinacy ; for a strong frost coming on, it 



86 REVELATIONS 

produced such a thick incrustation of ice on the 
glass, as to make the windows appear overlaid 
with mortar, depriving them of all transparency. 
Yet, even in this condition we were not without 
some compensation for being thus immured, as 
the least heat in the apartments melted the thick 
ice, and we at least obtained a peep of the wide 
world without. 

Some time previously to my arrival, mica- 
slate had been used at Berezov for windows. 
Numerous relics of these windows could be 
seen on heaps of rubbish before the houses and 
in the streets. Glass being introduced, it gra- 
dually superseded mica, which is now altogether 
abandoned. I cannot satisfactorily accoimt for 
the houses at Berezov, in spite of such intense 
frosts, being so warm, particularly as they are 
so defective in construction, and have such an 
excessive number of windows, some houses 
being completely riddled by them. But though 
these windows are badly finished, and the stoves 
are not heated more than once in twenty-four 
hours, the dwdlings are warm. This, I presume, 
is chiefly attributable to the extraordinary thick- 
ness of the trunks of wood used in building, and 
to the depth of their foundations, as well as to 



\ 



OF SIBERIA. 87 

a superior species of stove, with flues doubly 
secured with iron plates, to prevent the least 
particle of heat from escaping. 

The wood used for the construction of build- 
ing is principally cedar, which is also used as 
fuel ih preference to all other kinds of wood ; 
fir and larch not being thought so agreeable, 
on account of the crackling noise they makd 
when burning. 

In October the nights are the longest, and 
we had hardly three hours of day. This 
brief morning, however, Was far from being 
cloudy, the sun indeed shone brightly, though 
for so short a space. The sdr was clear, but 
was in incessant motion^ I might say, tremulous 
agitation, almost visible to the eye ; as though 
it were composed of a solid mass of tremulous 
atoms, ever revolving, moving and vibratmg.* 

* This peculiarity of the air is not limited to Siberia^ 
but may occasionaUy be observed in portions of northern 
Europe. The editor happened to witness a retnarkable 
instance of it in his early youth, on the southern boun- 
dary of Prussia, near Oletzko, on a clear hot day in 
August, when the atmosphere seemed not only to con-» 
sist of moving atoms, as described by our authoress, 
but was like a hard compact mass, tremulously shaken, 
and even resounded audibly. This condition of the 



88 REVELATIONS 

The three hours of day passed so quickly, as 
to be scarcely perceptible ; but the nights were 
drawn out to an immense length ; and proved 
the more irksome from our want of all means 
of computing the hours. The town of Berezov, 
in fact, has no clock, whereby the hours of the 
day may be ascertained, or the daily occupations 
of the citizens regulated, as is usual elsewhere. 
There exists indeed, an hour-glass, called the 
clepsydra at the Police office ; but this ancient 
means of measuring time is of but little avail to 
the generality of the inhabitants, and was most 
imperfect in its operation. To those of my 
readers who may not have seen, and will perhaps, 
never see s\ich a primitive time-piece, it may 
not be out of place to give a short description 
of this instrument. It was composed of a pair 
of oblong glasses, the thinner extremities of 

atmosphere, and its elasticity in connection with the 
stellar system, may possibly have suggested to Pytha- 
goras his bold theory of ** The Harmony of the Spheres." 
That the air, or at least the atmosphere surrounding us, 
is composed of atomic particles, in constant movement, 
and revolving around each other, there is no longer any 
doubt; and. recent attempts to observe the component 
parts of the air, by means of microscopic instruments, 
appear to have satisfactorily estabhshed the fact. 



i.«. 



OF SIBERIA. 89 

\vhich joined each other ; and had a small 
opening in the middle as a passage of com- 
munication. One glass was filled with sand^ and 
turned upward, so that the sand it contains 
may gradually run through the aperture at the 
bottom into the glass beneath, which is empty. 
The quantity of sand is measured for an hour ; 
and it takes just half an hour running from the 
glass above into that below, and vice versd. 
A Cossack is placed as a sentry to watch it, 
with the injunction, when the sand has run, to 
turn the glasses, so that the sand may in turn 
pass from the replenished glass into the empty 
one. In this way the hour-glass, after being 
turned twice, measures one hour, which being 
observed by the Cossack on duty, he is bound 
to run directly to the church, and give as many 
strokes on the bell as there are hours. 

Such a singular mode of notifying the hours 
must, of course, be liable to great irregularities. 
Any negligence on the part of the Cossack in 
turning the glass at the nick of time, however 
trifling, will throw the computation of time 
completely out of order. 

Notwithstanding all our ingenuity in varying 
our occupations, so as to render the long winter 



90 REVELATIONS 

evenings less irksome, I cannot say we were 
successful; and this I attribute to. the nature 
of our employments, which necessarily were 
more artificial than real, being whoUy without 
an object. The cook, at her work in the 
kitchen, preparing the simplest of meals to 
which our hungry family is to sit down, was 
more fortunate in possessing the happy power 
of filling up the hours without prolonging 
them. Needle- work, reading, and talking were 
our only resources, but our needle-work is des- 
tined to be of no use whatever to any human 
being ; reading is but a state of wasteful 
passivenesSf if the train of ideas which it awakens 
cannot be embodied in acts ; and as for conver- 
sation, a chief requisite is, that our observations 
should call up corresponding or antagonistic 
sentiments, and give rise to new ideas and 
thoughts. Failing to accomplish any such ends, 
conversation becomes blank, motionless, and 
dead. 

Of all evenings, the holiday evenings are the 
most irksome ; as on such days all sorts of work 
is erased from our short catalogue of occupa- 
tions. While the light lasts, we spend our 
tiooie in sorting worsted for our weekly laboiu: ; 



OF SIBERIA. 91 

then follows the wearisome interminable even- 
ing. My eyes ached, with reading, my lips, 
as though they were sealed for conversation, 
opened only to yawn; ennuiy with its heavy 
weight, oppressed me, bringing in its train an 
array of dark melancholy images. By what 
means could I overcome that terrible foe? I 
seated myself, and again took up a book, but 
the next moment found myself walking the 
room, distracted with anxious thoughts. To 
disperse them, I went at last to the rooms 
opposite, to see how my landlady and her family 
spent their time. I found them all assembled ; 
they cracked their nuts — that is, did nothing. 
Soon, however, I perceived that they were pre- 
pared to listen to a story-teller, and I was easily 
prevailed upon to ^ make one of the party; but 
I requested them, as we were rather crowded, 
to come with the story-teller to my apartments, 
where we should have more room. They 
willingly accepted my invitation, and returning 
with me, took their seats in the centre, while 
the story-teller planted himself on the threshold. 
The circle was increased by the servants, and 
all waited with impatience, though knowing by 
heart what was to be related. Amidst perfect 



92 REVELATIONS 

silence, uninterrupted but by occasional cracking 
of cedar-nuts, the story-teller at last entered 
upon his task. 

Some of his tales were of Russian origin ; 
but, as they may be known from other publica- 
tions, I do not mean to reproduce them here. 
I will speak only of the Ostiak stories, which, 
from their originality, may be read with interest. 
Simple though they may be, they exhibit apart 
from their literary value, a picture as genuine 
as it is faithful, both of the northern scenery 
and the employment of the natives; and I 
might almost say, are the embodiment of their 
ethics. 

THE OSTIAK HUNTERS. 

Once upon a time a party of seven Ostiaks 
went hunting in a distant forest. Each had a 
narta and three reindeer, and each took some 
provisions for his use ; but, above all, an excel- 
lent bow and a good share of arrows. They had 
therefore but little need of their provisions, as 
their arrows could everywhere procure a supply. 
They appointed a spot where their sledges were 
to meet, and from that spot they joyfully started 
together. But, as if ifl-luck would have it, the 



OV SIBERIA. 93 

hunting happened to prove unsuccessful; and 
the Ostiaks were for several days traversing the 
forest in all directions, and did not meet with 
any game. 

But experienced hunters are never dis- 
couraged by ill-success. Our Ostiaks proceeded 
onwards in their search, for how could they 
return home empty-handed, remembering well 
that they had left a vacant pantry, and that 
their wives and children were looking to them 
for food. 

After several days of fruitless labour they 
emerged from the thicket on a vast boundless 
tundra"^ on which, as far as their eyes could 
reach, they could not see a single tree, nor 
descry any other object that could serve them 
as a landmark, on their way through the wilder- 
ness. Only a few osiers and stunted stalks of 
grass were descemible, and these were covered 
with snow. There was nowhere any other ^ign 
of life — no trace of any animal, fox, reindeer, 
or ermine, on the whole extent of the virgin 
snow. 

* A tundra means lowlands^ or an extensive moor, 
without any wood, swampy, and incapable of producing 
anything but moss. 



94 REVELA.TIONS 

The hunters, although the environs all around, 
far and near, had previously been well known to 
them, lost at last all recollection of the country 
where they were. Still they stopped not, but 
pushed briskly onwards, hoping that they might 
reach the banks of some river, or discern some 
forest, where they would be able to find their 
way. But the farther they proceeded, the more 
boundless seemed the vast tundra spread before 
their eyes. 

They looked to the right, they looked to the 
left, and still saw only the same interminable 
wilderness. They looked behind, but even the 
forest from which they came had disappeared 
from their sight. Bewilderment, and almost 
despair had overcome them. " What is to be 
done ?" they asked each other. Their scanty 
store of provisions, not being augmented by any 
game, was nearly exhausted — -hunger gnawed 
thei^ vitals — home was far oflF, and even at 
home they had no supplies. 

While they were lamenting their hard lot, 
they perceived at a distance something like a 
cloud rising above the horizon : it was a tremen- 
dous column of snow. 

" Do you see that frightful drift of snow ?" 



OF SIBERIA. 95 

asked one, " and there is neither a ravine, nor 
a forest, where we can take shelter." 

" There is no other means of safety," replied 
one of his companions, *^ than to dig a hole in 
the snow, as fast as we can, to protect us 
against it." 

They had scarcely time to commence the 
work, in accordance with his advice, when they 
saw the snow-column, which moved with fearful 
rapidity, less than a hundred paces from them. 
What was their joy to find, however, that what 
they feared to be the buran,* was but a cloud of 
snow raised by the hoofs of a white reindeer, 
harnessed to a most elegantly wrought narta of 
mammoth bones, bearing a stately hunter, armed 
with a mighty bow and arrows. 

The tinknown stranger no sooner perceived 
the Ostiaks than he pulled up, and saluting 
them, inquired whither they were journeying. 
They replied, by stating what a deplorable plight 

* A buran is, in the language of the natives, a whirl- 
wind, which mixes the falling snow with that which it 
raises from the earth, thereby preventing a traveller from 
seeing his way, and is often attended with serious disas- 
ters, those who are exposed to it being sometimes cased 
in snow, and frozen to death. 



96 REVELATIONS 

they were reduced to, apprising him that they 
had been many days searching for game and had 
found none, and that they did not even know 
how far they had wandered from home, or how 
to trace their way back through the snow. 

The stranger pointed to the eastward, and 
said that in that direction was a mys* crowned 
■ by three ancient larch trees, surrounding an 
enormous stone, by the side of which lay the ' 
decaying tnwk of a cedar. Here, he assured 
them they would find plenty of all sorts of 
game. 

On hearing this, the Ostiaks looked at each 
other in some perplexity. Quite worn out and 
fatigued, they would fain have profited by the 
stranger's advice ; but were quite at a loss how 
to find out the reported land of plenty, seeing 
around them, nothing but an extensive sheet of 
snow, everywhere wearing the same monotonous 
aspect, and having nothing to fix the eye in its 
whole extent. These difficulties stared them in 
the face, and, after a little hesitation, they 
|^^MMMH|k^a|^fficsent them to the stranger, 
^^^^^^^PBI^^^^V their doubts meditated for 

r n 



a piece of land 



# OF SIBERIA. 97 

an instant, and then took out from the narta 
an arrow, and fitting it to his bow, exclaimed : 

" Proceed in the direction in which I shoot 
my arrow," As he spoke the string twanged 
and the arrow whizzed through the air ; but in 
flying touched from spot to spot the surface of 
the earth, leaving behind traces on the snow, 
which marked distinctly the course of its flight. 
The hunters having so excellent a conductor 
before their eyes, without hesitating a moment, 
set off^, resolved to speed in the traces of the 
flying arrow ; thankfully bidding the stranger a 
cordial and gratefiil farewelL 

They journeyed very long and very far, and 
though they had lost sight of the arrow, beheld 
its traces everywhere. At last, after a long 
journey, the traces disappeared, and they per- 
ceived the arrow sticking in the snow. All 
seven rushed forward at once to seize it, each 
being desirous to get possession of so wonderful 
a hunting weapon, invested with such powers as 
no living man had ever seen exhibited before. 

The foremost thrust his long iron-spear in the 
snow, to make his reindeer halt ; and then leap- 
ing from the sledge, rushed towards the arrow, 
order to appropriate to himself the coveted 

VOL. II. H 



98 HJIVELATIONS • 

prize; but he was sorely disappointed, for he 
found to his great astonishment, the arrow was 
so heavy, that he was quite unable to lift it. 
His companions, in succession, attempted the 
same feat, but were equally foiled; nor could 
they even united raise it from the earth. At 
length, they desisted from making any ftirther 
eflforts, wondering at the extraordinary strength 
of the unknown, whom they had seen, with their 
own eyes, handle the arrow as easily as though 
it were a feather ; and at the same time, they 
were puzzled as to how they should find their 
promised mys^ or knee-land, now that they had 
lost their miraculous conductor. While medi- 
tating on this subject, one of them happened to 
descry, at no great distance, three larches, a 
stone, and the trunk of a large cedar ; and closer 
examination left no doubt, that this actually was 
the spot indicated by the hunter. 

The Ostiaks were enraptured at this discovery, 
and as it flashed upon them, they beheld a 
number of young reindeer, martins, foxes, squir- 
rels, and every kind of game flitting about in 
every direction. Each forthwith grasped his 
bow and arrows, and poured their shafts into the 
pudst of the throng, and not one failed of its 



OF SIBERIA. 99 

mark. This sport they continued, till all their 
fiartas were loaded with gaiiip ; whereupon, full 
of joy and glee, they started on their way home- 
ward. 

They were now not in the least perplexed as 
to the road, fon they saw the furrows of their 
sledges on the snow, and these were a sufficiently 
safe guide; but on arriving at the spot, where 
they had met the unknown hunter, and finding 
the traces of his mammoth narta still visible, 
they began to consider whether they should not 
proceed on his track, with the view of paying 
him a visit, and thanking him for the good 
advice he had given them. 

This they instantly resolved to do, but they 
had scarcely proceeded a few furlongs on their 
road, when they saw on either side of them large 
numbers of •reindeer roaming about on pasture 
grounds; and these became more and more 
numerous as they progressed, so that they could 
not but wonder at the immense wealth of the 
owner of such vast herds. On one of the ex- 
tensive plains, they saw numbers of bucks, 
adorned with high-branching antlers, scraping 
up the snow, in search of moss for food. In 

H 2 



1 00 REVELATIONS 

another, they beheld herds of pieshkis, or young 
ones, some white, jDthers of chesnut colour, and 
all as gay and healthy as fish, gamboling play- 
fully on the tundras, gracefully tossing their 
heads, or sucking the teat of their smooth- 
skinned and sleek-looking dams, while others 
strayed in an adjacent forest, where, climbing 
with their slender fore-feet and with their bodies 
half upr^tised, they picked the rich lichen from 
the trunks. In short, herds of these useful 
animals were seen grazing in countless numbers 
in every direction, as far as the hunters could 
see. At last they perceived a tchoum (tent) at 
a distance, and as they drew near, observed that 
the traces of the mammoth narta were disap- 
pearing ; whence they inferred, that this was the 
habitation of the unknown hunter. At the 
tent, therefore, they halted. 

On stepping inside, they beheld the owner 
of the tchoum, and immediately recognised 
their benevolent adviser, who knew them at a 
glance, and bade them welcome. 

The Ostiaks recounted all the incidents of 
their journey, as well as its prosperous results, 
and it being the close of the day when they 



OF SIBERIA. 101 

arrived, he invited them to spend the night 
in his tchouniy and then went outside to arrange 
for their entertainment. 

The host's family consisted of his wife and 
his aged father. After leaving his guests, he 
slaughtered a number of his choice reindeer, 
two for each hunter, and these he delivered to 
his wife to prepare for their use, but before 
doing .so, he cut off the heads of all the slain 
animals, and placed them in front of the 
hunters. The Ostiaks wondered that he should 
have killed so many reindeer, and declared that 
they should not be able to consume a quarter 
of the feast. 

" This be as it may please you," replied the 
generous host; "I mete out this quantity to 
you, as it is our accustomed ration. You may 
do with it as you like." So saying, he ordered 
his wife to bring in a large brass cauldron, and 
pointing it out to the hunters, recommended 
them to boil so much of the meat as they 
would require, and make use of the remainder 
in any manner they thought proper. 

The Ostiaks cooked only two of the deer, 
stowing the remainder in their sledges; but 
even the portion they cooked was more than 



102 REVELATIONS 

they could consume. But what astonished 
them most was, that the host and his wife, at 
their own table, cut off the heads of the deer 
destined for themselves, and presented them to 
the old man, and then ate up the whole of the 
enormous quantity remaining. 

This mighty repast being finished, both the 
family and the guests retired to rest. Each 
hunter found a comfortable couch prepared for 
him, composed of yagas of precious fur of 
black fox, of blue reindeer skins, with sables 
and gray squirrels (siwodushki), and these 
valuable yagas were afterwards presented to 
them as a gift.* 

Next morning, the hunters, quite refreshed 
by sleep, and enchanted at the reception they 
had received, were preparing for departure, when 
the aged father, stepping forward, addressed 
his son in these words : 

* 

" Behold, my son ! thy guests are about to 
leave thee. Wilt thou let them depart from 
thy house without gifts ?" 

The Ostiaks, who could not find words 
enough to express their thanks for the hospit- 

* Yoga is a large, warm garment, or cloak of fur. 



OF SIBERIA. 103 

able welcome and the costly present they had 
already received, observed in a deprecating tone 
that, after such generous treatment, combined 
with so splendid a present, they could not 
desire, or becomingly accept, anything more. 
But the son, making light of their excuses, 
and in obedience to his father's wish, took a 
long leathern leash which was hanging on the 
wall, and with which he was accustomed to 
catch his reindeer, and requested his guests to 
go with him outside the* tchoum. The leash 
was so exceedingly long, that on being cofled 
round his arm, as is usual on such occasions, • 
it appeared like a large pillow. 

" Look !" said he. " I will cast this leash 
all its length for each of you in turn, and 
whatever be the number of reindeer I catch in 
it at one cast, they shall be given to each of you 
respectively as a gift." 

So saying, he whistled to the reindeer, and 
they pressed in crowds around him. He then 
threw his leash amidst them, and with such 
force that about thirty were entwined in it by 
their antlers, necks and legs, all of which he gave 
to the Ostiak for whom he had cast the leash. 
He then cast the leash for the others in sue- 



104 REVELATIONS 

cession, and strange to say in each case with 
the same result, so that every Ostiak had an 
equal number. 

Thus laden with gifts and having their 
sledges stored with game, the Ostiaks left the 
residence of their generous host, and turned 
towards home, passing, on the road, the 
countless herds of reindeer which they had seen 
in coming. As they proceeded, they could of 
course speak of nothing but their host. They 
enlarged upon the immense wealth they had 
seen in his house, and what they saw before 
them, and they began to covet it. 

All the munificent gifts which he had 
bestowed on them, appeared but a mere trifle 
when compared with the riches which he 
possessed. Every one thought so, though he 
durst not at first communicate his thoughts to 
the others. But the viper of covetousness 
gnawed at their hearts, and at length they sunk 
into sullen silence, all inwardly intent upon the 
same scheme. 

" What enormous wealth !" cried one at 
last. " How happy the owner of these immense 
riches, though probably he does not himself 
know how much he possesses !" 



OF SIBERIA. 105 

''I quite agree with you, and I was just 
thinking the same," replied another. 

" Where does he keep all his riches ?" added 
a third; " From the presents of costly furs 
which he has given us with such liberality, I 
should infer that he has as great a store of them 
as of Reindeer." 

" Hang his furs !" said a fourth ; " but if 
any one took some of the reindeer which are 
here on the pasture-ground, he certainly would 
not find it out." 

"That is the very idea that this moment 
occurred to me," rejoined a fifth. 

" Why should we hesitate then to add some 
of these reindeer to those he has given us ?" 
asked another. " His herds being innumerable, 
he will not even perceive that any of them are 
missing." 

While six of the Ostiaks were thus speaking 
together, one of their party did not join in the 
conversation; but, observing that they were 
seriously meditating the execution of their 
knavish design, he interposed. 

" What is this you are plotting ?" he cried. 
" Certainly you cannot be in earnest ! Is this a 



106 REVELATIONS 

fit return for the benefits we have received? 
Through his kindness it was that we were 
toaUed to, kill so much game, and he besides 
received us hospitably at his house, bestowing 
on us munificent gifts ; so that for six months 
at least our homes are provided with plenty, 
and our wives and children are saved from 
starvation. Is it possible that, instead of being 
thankful, you are intent on doing him such 
mjury ? 

''You are a fool!" retorted one of them. 
'' What harm can he 8u£Eer from so trifling a 
loss, possessing so much as he does ?" 

''Never mind listening to what he says,'' 
observed the first speaker, " but let us do what 
we have decided on/' 

"We had better not lose time in vain 
discussion," replied a third. "Let us do at 
once what we meant to do, and hasten home 
with our booty." 

" For my part, I will on no account share in 
such a dark deed," said the Ostiak who dis- 
approved of this sdieme. 

Ne shall not want you," replied the 
tor of the plot. 



OP SIBERIA. 107 

"Away with all such foolish scruples!" 
ejaculated others. " Let us exclude him from 
our company ! let us drive him away !" 

And then, almost simultaneously springing 
from their sledges, they separated a drove of a 
hundred and fifty reindeer ; and having .united 
them with those which their host had presented 
to them, they took, as fast as they could, to 
flight, with their ill-acquired booty. 

" Look, and beware to claim thy portion 
when we shall distribute the reindeer!" they 
called out, tauntingly, to the honest Ostiak who 
had opposed them, and in a short time dis- 
appeared from his sight. 

Being thus excluded from his party, and left 
behind alone, the honest Ostiak was continuing 
his weary journey with his small drove of rein- 
deers at a slow pace, and hanging down his 
head, wa6 mournfully meditating on the ingrati- 
tude of his companions, when all on a sudden 
he heard a tempestuous gale approaching from 
the rear, as if all the forest were shaken by a 
violent whirlwind. Looking round in alarm, 
what should he see but the well-remembered 
mammoth narta drawn by the white reindeer 
coming along, like in a doud, bearing aloft the 



108 REVELATIONS 

Unknown Hunter, who was driving with fearful 
speed. The Ostiak was now awe-stricken, and 
felt dismayed, as though he were an accomplice 
in the evil deed of his brethren. 

Drawing up by his side, the Unknown Hunter 
commenced upbraiding him for ingratitude; 
but the Ostiak, to vindicate himself, showed all 
he had in his narta, and bade him observe that 
he possessed only the thirty reindeer which the 
hunter had given him. The hunter was ap- 
peased by this defence, and, like a storm, started 
in pursuit of the others. On reaching the fugi- 
tives he convicted them of the evil deed, and 
while they were speechless with terror, strung an 
arrow on his bow, and with it pierced at once 
the guilty six. 

Meanwhile, the seventh Ostiak came up, and 
seeing on the road the corpses of his com- 
panions, all transfixed with an ivory arrow, he 
was terrified out of his wits. But the Unknown 
bid him fear nothing ; and to dispel his terror, 
he took all the booty of the guilty hunters, and 
bestowed it on him, as a reward for his honesty 
and good faith. 



OF SIBERIA. 109 



OLD friend's reindeer. 

Two Ostiaks, one old, the other young, in- 
habited two sepurate tchoums, situated but a 
little distance from each other. The elder had 
no issue of his own; and, in his loneliness, 
he got exceedingly fond of the young one, and 
liked him as mucti as though he were his own 
son. The youth likewise behaved towards him 
as a son would towards his father. 

It was their custom to go hunting and 
fishing together, and in the case of the elder 
being wearied or disinclined for. the exercise, 
the youth willingly exerted himself for the 
advantage of both, placing stanki* in the wood 
to entrap game; cutting holes in the ice to 
catch fish, with nets and seines ; and, when 
severe frosts set in, to spare the aged man any 
trouble, he most frequently went alone to distant 
places to fetch the game which was entrapped, 
and the fish caught in the seine. All this the 
obliging youth used faithfully to deliver to 
his adopted parent. The old man happened to 

* Stanki are traps and snares to catch animals. 



110 REVELATIONS 

possess some white reindeer, which were re- 
markable for their swiftness, and to which his 
young friend took a particular liking, which he 
perceiving, proposed that he should piu^chase 
them of him for the skins of three black foxes. 

Such a high price was imheard of, as it was 
equivalent to at least a hundred reindeer. Never- 
theless the young Ostiak, who knew the excel- 
lent qualities of the animals, and on that account 
very ardently wished to acquire them, was not 
at all discouraged by so high a price, and as 
he at that time happened to have great success 
in hunting, and killed three black foxes, he 
brought the s^dns to the old man, and demanded 
the rdndeer. The other, well pleased with the 
confidence the youth placed in him, was not 
unwilling to conclude the bargain, and said: 
" I will give you, if you like, in addition, three 
does, just as white, and of the same breed as 
these bucks, if you will give me in return 
three sables/' 

His young friend was not discom^ed even 
by this proposition; and without fruther bar- 
gaining or haggling, brought him the three 
sables. 

" In addition to these, I will give you three 



OF SIBERIA. Ill 

striate reindeer," said the old man, " if you will 
give me the skins of three young blue reindeer." 

The young man agreed even to this exchange, 
as he had to the former one, ^sithout uttering 
a single word more; and acquired by the 
bargain the striated reindeer. 

On becoming their owner, the young Ostiak 
proposed to try them; and having an elder 
brother residing about two hundred and fifty 
versts from his abode, he resolved on taking a 
pleasure trip to see him. Pursuant to this reso- 
lution, on the following day at dawn, he. put the 
striate reindeer to his ndrta^ and set out on his 
journey. The reindeer proved to be so swift, 
that he traversed the great distance before his 
sister-in-law had sufficient time to prepare her 
burdiuk.* His brother was quite astonished at 
his arrival, and asked him what time he had left 
home ? 

" At one kettle,*^ f was the reply. 

* The burdiuk is a meal of the Ostiaks> consistmg of 
fish, bojled with a small quantity of flour. 

t Among the Ostiaks> the division of time by hours 
is not known ; hence time is measured after the ordi- 
nary transactions of their daily life, one of which is the 
boiling of a kettle for a meal. 



112 REVELATIONS 

On hearing this, the elder brother was asto- 
nished the more, knowing that, after their 
father's death, when the property was divided 
between them, he had cheated his brother, in 
keeping the best reindeer for himself, and had 
given the worst to him. 

After they had discussed their meal of bur- 
diuk, the elder brother suggested that, by way 
of diversion, the reindeer of each should run a 
race, to which proposal the other readily acceded. 
The best reindeer that the elder brother pos- 
sessed were then brought from his herd ; but 
when both nartas set oflF, the reindeer of the 
younger brother ran almost as swift as the wind, 
leaving their competitors far behind. 

" From whom did you get such brave and 
superior beasts?" asked the elder brother, in 
surprise at this result, and burning with 
envy. 

" Oh, these are but mean animals, when com- 
pared to my white reindeer, to which nobody 
can find equals,*'^ replied the other. 

"But does their strength equal their swift- 
ness ?" inquired the first. " Shall we go with 
them on a hunting excursion ? If you like, it 
might take place in a few days, and we can then 



OF SIBERIA. 113 

see whether your reindeer are as excellent in 
hunting, as they are in racing." 

The younger brother, without a Tnomenl's 
hesitation, accepted the challenge, and, on the 
day appointed, arrived with his white reindeer aft 
hi& brother's house. 

The elder brother, as may be imagined, made 
choice of the best white ones in his herd, that 
he might not, as on the former occasion, be sur- 
passed. But no sooner had they started, than 
the younger, borne along with the celerity of 
the wind, vanished far from his brother's view. 
In his rapid course he encountered some foxes 
and a herd of young reindeer (piehski), mi 
no sooner did his team perceive them, than they 
trampled them beneath their hoofs ; so that 
brfore the elder brother could come up, the 
younger had a load of venison in his narta. 
This appeared so strange to him, that he sus- 
pected such extraordinary ihiok in the chase 
must be a trick, and that the slain animals had 
been brought by him from iianse, and after being 
secreted in his sledge, mere now produced as a 
-proof of skill. While he was ruminating on 
this idea, a black foK was descried at a distance, 

VOL. II. I 



114 REVELATIONS 

and both simultaneously started in pursuit of 
Irim ; but the elder brother was left far behind, 
"While the white reindeer of the younger outran 
the fox, and, as before, trampled it \mder their 
hoofs. 

The elder brother acquiring thus an undeniable 
proof of their superior qualities, tried everything 
to induce the other to make an exchange ; but 
the latter would, on no condition, part with 
them. In the end, however, he was prevailed 
on to promise him the young ones, should they 
ever yield any. 

After the lapse of three years, the elder 
brother paid him a visit, and reminded him of 
his pledge, and in compliance with it, he handed 
him over the young ones. But the gift turned 
out most unlucky to the covetous man, as the 
young reindeer, accustomed only to one master, 
would not obey their new owner, and turned 
stubborn and restive; so that the more the 
latter tried to bring them into subjection, 
the wilder and more \mmanageable they grew. 
At last, one day when they were put to 
the narta, they overturned it, and he was thrown 
out and killed. Then they run away with his 



OF SIBERIA. 115 

corpse, which unfortunately caught in their 
head-reins, and dragged it to the threshold of 
his dwelling, where they came to a stand. 

The son of the ill-fated man not being 
ignorant of the bitter hatred his father had 
borne to his brother, supposed that the latter 
hated him with equal intensity, and that the 
good-understanding which had apparently ex- 
isted between them, had been, in fact, but a 
mask; and he now imagined that his father 
had been slain by the other, who had adopted 
this method of covering the crime, to avert 
suspicion from himself. Harbouring these 
thoughts, he went one day to his uncle's abode 
with the view of surprising him, and taking 
his life in retaliation. On coming, however, 
within a short distance of his uncle's tchoumy 
he recognized the young reindeer which had 
caused the mischief, and which were grazing 
on the pasture-ground in the forest; and 
covetousness getting, for the moment, the better, 
of revenge, he resolved in the first place to carry 
off the animals, and seek his uncle afterwards. 

Taking his own reindeer from his sledge, he 
put-to those of his uncle, and directed his 
course homewards,. flattering himself with the 

I 2 



1 1 6 REVELATIONS 

hope that he would traverse the whole distance 
in a few moments ; but scarcely had he sthrea 
from the spot, when the reindeer, growing wild 
and unruly, and impatient of control, started on 
their mad career through the forest, and ran till 
they had killed him; when th^ came back 
to their master^s home, dragging his nephew's 
dead body after them. 

In this manner, the reindeer of his old and 
trusty friend, though purchased at a high price, 
amply repaid their cost, and twice saved his 
life. 



OF SIBERIA 117 



CHAPTER VI. 

The Arctic region north of Berezov — Obdorsk fan* — 
Zirani — Fur-tax — Perfidy of Russian merchants-r~ 
Division of the native population qJT Watahyr-rChiefi^ 
of the tribes-^The Prince of Obdorsk — Catherine H. 
— The Prince's threat to bum Tobolsk — ^Assault on 
him — Curious trial — Integrity of the native races. 

Our landlord being, like most of the in- 
habitants of Berezov, engaged in commercial 
pursuits, went in Decemb^ to the Obdorsk 
fair, which lasts four weeks. It is hdd in the 
town of Obdorsk, the most northern point of 
the government of Tobolsk, or rather, its 
extremity, beyond which no human habitations are 
found. There, indeed, exists a large peninsular 
territory extending along the Oby Gulf north- 
wards, and advancing far into the Polar Ocean ; 
but that stretch of land is entirely uninhabited. 



118 REVELATIONS 

Occasionally, no doubt, parties of Samoiedes 
and Ostiaks may be met straying in these 
barren regions of eternal snow, driven there by 
the accidents of the chase, but they are 
merely wanderers, who make no sojourn.* 
The town of Obdorsk, therefore, may justly be 
considered the last inhabited point of the 
province of Berezov, in the direction of the 
Frozen Ocean. 

Obdorsk is situated at the mouth of the 
river Oby, where that great river falls into the 
gulf to which it gives its name, and which is 
likewise called the Oby Sea. The number of 
its inhabitants, of course, is exceedingly small ; 
but owing to its famous fair, the place is not 
without some importance. 

Once every year, about the middle of Decem- 
ber, the nomadic Samoiedes and Ostiaks, and 
their different families and watakas (clans), not 
only of the district of Berezov and the more 

* This is the farthest northern region described by 
our authoress ; and her account of it acquires the more 
importance from the tract of land lying, if not exactly 
within the range, close on the boundaries of the unknown 
regions, which Lieutenant Pim proposed to explore in 
search of Sir John Franklin. 



OF SIBERIA. 119 

remote government of Yenisey, but of all the 
wildernesses bordering on the extensive shores of 
the Frozen Ocean, repair to Obdorsk, for the 
purpose of barter, and to provide themselves 
with the objects they require. 

These tribes of native savages bring with 
them skins and furs of all kinds, and the 
Russian merchants from Tobolsk, Surgut, and 
Berezov, and even more distant towns, bring 
other exchangeable commodities; travelling a 
distance of many thousand versts to dispose of 
their wares, as needles, pins, ribbons, tape, and 
the Kke trumperies; together with horrid 
pictures and engravings, such as the Susdal 
school alone is able to produce. Many arrive 
even from the government of Archangel, and 
among them are the Zirani, a people dwelling 
on the banks of the Petchera, and constituting a 
peculiar race, well-built, courageous, and emi- 
nently skilful, and possessing a distinct language 
of their own, though they speak Russian 
remarkably well. 

At the first fall of snow, as soon as the rivers 
are covered with ice, these people start from the 
Petchera, on nartas drawn by reindeer, and 
crossing the Uralian mountains, a distance of 



1 20 EEVELATIONS 

maDy thousand versts, arrive at Obdorsk, and 
some even at BerezoT, to dispose of their 
produce, and their manufactures. These for the 
most part are butter, worsted stockings, woollen 
vests, harness, ropes, fishing nets, thread canvas, 
and linen. In exchange, they take down of 
ducks, skins of reindeer and other animals, 
mammoth bones, furs a£ all kinds, and flour. 

Thoi^h neariy the whole population of the 
Strict of Berezov is nomadic, living for the 
most part dispersed in forests and amidst mo- 
«i8ses, and constanfly momg to and fro, yet on 
assemblii^ at the time of the fair at a single 
point, it becomes, aa it were, ojice in the year 
stationary. Trade and barter bring natives and 
strangers together, and on this occasion, the 
Sprawnik (directOT of police) of Berezov, proceeds 
to Obdorsk, to collect the annual yasdky or tax 
on furs, for the Imperial Treasury. 

The director, immediately on his arrival, pub- 
Ushes a proclamation, prohibiting any attempt 
at barter in furs and skins, until the fur-tax has 
been duly paid. In the meantime, however, 
an immensity of mischief is done. The Russian 
dealers, who surpass the whole word in perfidy 
and cunning, ferret out those Samoieds and 



OF SIBERIA. 1 21 

Ostiaks who have the greatest stock of valuaUe 
fiirs, and caUing on them in their tchoumSf, 
frighten them with all sorts of absurd fabrications, 
making it appear that the imperial ftmcticmary^ 
had learnt from bis spies, what a large coMection 
they had brought with them, and that if they 
ventured to appear in the town, he would invent 
some pretext for confiscating the whole. When 
these representations have infected the poor 
Cossacks with a panic, they offer in a friendly 
way, to purchase clandestinely whatever they 
may have to dispose of, and by this meaoa 
possess themsdves of the frirs at a fourth of 
their value. 

The Samoied and Ostiak population, like all 
people in a semi-barbarous state^ is divided into 
different tribes. The government raises no ob^ 
jection to these divisions, as they in a great 
degree assist it in carrying out its measures 
of administration. In the government phra- 
seology, the various tribes are called watakus. 
At the head of each wataka is a patriarch, or 
chief, whose dignity is hereditary, descending 
from one generation to another, and in him is 
vested the judicial and administrative power. 
In his relations with the Russian gov^mioen^ 



122 REVELATIONS 

he is considered merely in the light of an elder, 
(starchina), and such is his official appellation. 
The government communicates to him all its 
intentions and orders ; it receives through him 
from the people of his wataka, the yasaky the 
appointment of which is left to his judgment, 
according as he chooses^ to impose it on Uie 
different families of his wataka. He also stands 
in a peculiar position, with respect to the govern- 
ment of the tribe, who pay absolute obedience 
to his commands, while he, as the hereditary 
chief, administers justice, watches over the public 
security, and in years of famine, procures means 
of subsistence for the population. 

In discharging this duty he is sometimes 
obliged to give up all his own store of provisions, 
and even to kill his reindeer, while, at the same 
time, he makes the rich contribute to the support 
of the poor, and should these supplies prove 
insufficient, he heads the most courageous men 
of his tribe, in an expedition to a neighbouring 
district, demanding with arms in his hand, 
relief for their suffering families. The Russian 
government is frequently called upon to put 
down these lawless forays ; but the natives, so 
far from deeming them as unlawful, view them 



OF SIBERIA. 123 

as warlike expeditions, and all who join in them 
are very highly thought of, and loved among 
their tribes. 

The amount of respect and obedience paid to 
the chief, is in proportion to his personal qualities, 
and the sagacity, prudence, and energy which he 
displays in the government of his clan. 

Each wataka consists of several hundreds of 
tchoums^ or tents, inhabited by separate families. 

Obdorsk is the residence of an Ostiak prince, 
who bears the same name as the town. From 
time immemorial the supreme chieftainship over 
the Ostiaks has been preserved in this family, 
and handed down from generation to generation. 
The Empress Catharine the Second, fer from 
infringing upon their dynastic prerogatives, sent 
a diploma sanctioning the dignity, and accom- 
panied the document with a present of a kafkan 
of red cloth and a pair of boots with pointed 
long toes. Ever since, on all important occasions 
and gala days, especially on the arrival of the 
Governor-General, or any other imperial official, 
when presentations take place, the Prince 
Obdorsk makes his appearance at the levies in 
this costume, and bearing the imperial diploma 
in his hand. 



124 RJEVELATIONS 

Yet, with all this, the Prince retains the 
^unplicity oi th^ native character. His every- 
day dress is like that worft by the rest of the 
Ostiaks ; differing neither in make nor material 
-^whicb is reinde^ fijr. Nor is his habitayfcion 
superior to the common yomtay or tent ; except 
at Obdorsk, hjs capital, where it is constructed of 
logs of wood, and is spigtcious and lofty, as it is 
feespe. that he receives the orders of the govem- 
m^, and any officials who visit the place. 

The native^ show r^pect for individual^, by 
the same ceremonies, as exist among the other 
tribes in Southern Siberia. A man, whether 
Qstiak, Sanioied, or Kirghies, testifying respect 
for a high personage, does not, take anything 
during a meal with his own hands, but waits till 
he is served by others. When eatables are 
brought in, persons appointed for the purpose 
csut up his meat and even put it in his mouth, 
bit by bit, with their fingers. Should the guest 
thus honoured happen to spit, etiquette requires 
that the spit should instantly be wiped up. 
Reindeer's head, in a raw state, is a standing 
dish, and considered a great dainty ; it is always 
placed before the principal guest, or the person 
most honoured in their society. 



OP SIBERIA. 125 

The Prince of Obdorsk has not attained a 
higher degfee of civilization than the resi of the 
natives ; it even appears that he is, in common 
with the lowest of his countrymen, fanatically 
averse to any attempt at improvement. The 
following is characteristic of him : 

^ot many years ago, the Governor of Tobolsk 
intimated to the Prince that he might send his 
son to Tobolsk, where he should be placed in 
the Gymnasium, and by the education he would 
^receive, might be made instrumental in commu- 
nicating civilization to hfe whole tribe. But 
scdWjely had the project been mentioned, through 
an interpreter, to the Prince, than he fell into la 
violent passion, declaring, " that he would nev^r 
surrender his son into foreign hands ; dnd that 
should an attempt be made to carry him off by 
force, he vowed he would bum Tobolsk to the 
ground." The Governor, of icourse, thought it 
would be desirable, under these circumstances, 
to take no further trouble in the matter. 

The Prince's obstinate temper and his oppo- 
sition to the introduction of anything like 
European civilization among his tribe, renders 
his toatakay an arena of abuses and intrigue. 
For such a sphere none are better fitted than 



126 REVELATIONS 

» 

the Russian ofBcials, especially those of the 
inferior class. Being very ignorant, and utterly 
incapable of comprehending the real intentions of 
the Government, they are constantly exceeding 
their power, as often as they can do so with 
impunity. In proof of this I will mention an 
occurrence, merely to show in what a sorry 
predicament the Prince Obdorsk, despite his 
exalted title, may be placed. 

A few years since, a physician of t^e dis- 
trict, who resided at Berezov, happened to 
be sent to the northern part of the province, 
in order to make a medical inspection. Though 
he had money given him by Government for 
his travelling expenses, yet, following the bad 
•example set by the generality of the employes, 
he demanded relays from the Prince of Obdorsk 
for himself and his suite, without making 
any payment. A physician in those parts of 
the country never travels alone, but is accom- 
panied by several assistants, an interpreter, and 
surgeons to aid him in operations. 

The Prince, not being ignorant that, in such 
cases, the expenses of government officials are 
defrayed by the public treasury, refused to give 
the relays ; and the physician, irritated by the 



OF SIBERIA. 127 

unexpected firmness of the refusal, and forgetftd 
of the injustice of his cause, took the law into his 
own hands, and literally horsewhipped the Prince. 
Obdorsk complained of his conduct to the head 
of the police, but in vain. He could obtain no 
redress against the director's colleague and per- 
sonal friend. It happened, however, that not 
long afterwards, the Governor of Tobolsk, wish- 
ing to inspect this distant region, arrived at 
Obdorsk during the time of the fair. Such ian 
event was, of course, a most memorable one, fus 
the oldest inhabitant had no recollection of ever 
naving seen so great a personage in their remote 
town, even Berezov being only thus honoured 
at very long intervals; although, in the strict 
.discharge of his duty, the Governor-General 
should annually visit every town in the province. 
This tour of inspection, however, is usually as- 
signed to an inferior official, who is not very 
likely to report the misdoings of his colleagues. 
On the Governor'is arrival at Obdorsk, the 
Prince, mindful of the injury he had received 
from the physician, brought a complaint before 
the great functionary ; but being unacquainted 
with the Russian language, he was obliged to 
employ an interpreter, and could find no one to 



128 REVELATIONS 

falfil this office but « pereon attached to the 
iSovmnor's suite, who had been recommended 
for the post by the director of police. 

The interpreter knew all the circumstances 
oonnected vnih the case, but had an interest in 
mreeningfrom the Governor the mdpraotices of 
Ihe offi<sialSy and so made it a point of misre^ 
presenting the Prince's statement, telling just 
Hie reverse of what he communicated to him in 
his own language. 

TEe injured Ostiak, though he could not 
speak Russian, was keen enough to detect this 
dieat, and made an eflfort, by a few Russian 
words, and by supplying the rest with gesticula- 
tkm, .to plead his own cause. By this means 
"the Governor was enabled at last to suspect 
something of the truth, and in an authoritative 
tone, called the interpreter to account But the 
latter, nothing daunted, nor in the least losing 
his presence of mind, said that what the Prince 
so warmly insisted upon was, that physicians 
were not at all wanted by his tribe ; and that, 
instead of curing the people, they only dosed 
them with bitter drugs. He begged, therefore, 
that his Excellency would represent to the Em- 
peror that he was wasting money in sending 



OF SIBERIA. 129 

them to Obdorsk, as they were reaQy only si 
source of annoyance. 

In his reply, the Governor endeavoured to 
convince the Ostiak, how much the Emperor 
loved his people, and that money was no con- 
sideration to him when expended for their good ; 
and further, that though physicians did ad-^ 
minister bitter drugs and draughts, they were a 
very valuable and indispensable body of men. 

The Prince listened to the Governor's answer 
with great attention, and it did not escape his 
penetration, that he was still misunderstood ; so, 
to cut short all further explanation, he thrpw off 
his state dress, and pointing to his scarred 
shoulders, showed how shamefully he had been 
treated. Being a humane and just man, the 
Governor cast a severe look at the interpreter, 
and again demanded an explanation; but the 
interpreter, though unprepe^ed for this disclo- 
sure, retained his presence of mind, and said 
with great imconcem, that the real reason, why 
his Highness complained so bitterly of the 
physician was, that he had had blisters applied 
to his shoulders while suffering from sore eyes, 
and was thus covered with scars. On this the 
Governor could not help smiling, and good- 

VOL. II. K 



1 30 REVELATIONS 

humouredly tapping the Prince on his shoulders, 
recommended him to dismiss his anger, as the 
physician had only acted for his good. 

The Prince was now quite in despair, seeing 
that his case was, after all, not comprehended. 
Meanwhile, the director of the police and other 
officials, hearing what was going on, began to 
press into the audience room, and prevented the 
Governor, by their representations, from arriving 
at the truth. Thus the injured Prince was from 
lack of language to make his case imderstood, 
obliged to give up all hope of obtaining redress. 

To the credit of the Ostiaks and the Sa- 
moiedes it must be said, that they are eminently 
distinguished for integrity and truthfulness. They 
are never detected in lying or prevarication, even 
though they might often become gainers by re- 
sorting to artifice. They faithfully fulfil their 
engagements and are punctual in paying their 
debts — characteristics which redound the more 
to their honour, as from their nomade life in 
such vast wildernesses, they could easily baffle 
the coercive power of the law. 

They observe the same integrity and good 
faith in paying the public taxes. These are col- 
lected by a Goverament functionary who, on 



OF SIBERIA. 131 

arriving at the Obdorsk fair, sends a despatch to 
the chiefs, or elders of the diflferent tribes, 
requiring them to pay the annual yasak^ at the 
same time ordering the police of the locality to 
permit no sales imtil the tax has been duly paid. 
In obedience to this order, the Ostiaks and the 
Samoiedes of the different tribes are enjoined by 
their chiefs to bring m their quota of the impost. 
This is immediately done, and the prohibition 
against sales is then rescinded, and the market 
for barter opened to all comers. It often hap- 
pens that there is a decrease in the receipts of 
the tax, but this is owing solely to the bad suc- 
cess of the tribes in himting, and never to any 
breach of good faith. These poor savages 
scrupulously discharge what they consider to be 
a sacred obligation, and do not understand either 
evasion or fraud. 



K 2 



132 REVELATIONS 



CHAPTER VII. 

Christmas — Masquerades — ^Visit from a party of masks 
— Custom of preserving wedding^dothes — New Year's 
Eve — Superstitions — Professor Kalmlkow's delusion 
— Fiendish pranks — Phantasmagoria. 

The Christmas festivities, which commenced 
kere at the usual time, were protracted till 
Twelflh-day, or the term of Epiphany. They had 
not, however, the sweet attractions, or any of 
the endearing customs, observed in my native 
land and in other countries of Europe. There 
was no distribution of the consecrated wafer 
among the family-circle, no Christmas-eve din- 
ner or joyous meeting of friends at the social 
board, no busy preparations for baking Christ- 
mas cakes {strucle). The only observable result 
of the festival was the termination of a six 



OF SIBERIA. , 133 

weeks' fast; for not until that day did the people 
b^n to eat meat. They also paid visits to each 
others' houses, and on the evening of the second 
day, the whole town swarmed with masks. 

Before touching, however, on the subject of 
the masquerade, I should say a few words on the 
round of visits which it is the custom to pay at 
this season. 

The first day of Christmas is assigned to 
visits from men, the day following is given to 
ladies, v^ho, appareUed in their best dresses, go 
round to see all their acquaintances. The 
whole town is then simultaneously in motion, 
and the streets are fiUed with groups of women 
in elegant, or at least costly dresses. During 
these holidays the toilette of the Berezovian. 
ladies is seen in all its splendour ; and, among 
the number, may be found dresses which have 
cost their wearers several thousand rubles. It 
is, indeed, a curious display, embracing costly 
Chinese silks, blonds, sables, gold, pearls, pre- 
cious stones, and exquisite furs. 

It cannot be said that the Berezovian ladies 
show much taste in the arrangement of thehr 
dress, as they constantly combine stuffs and 
colours wholly unsuitable^ while with the above 



134 REVELATIONS 

display of costly materials, they might, if they 
possessed any tact, easily make a brilliant 
choice. 

The principal and most favourite amusement 
at Christmas, in which all the Berezovians are 
delighted to take a part, is that of disguises, or 
what is called here a masquerade. This pas- 
time commences, as I before remarked, on the 
second day after Christmas, and lasts till 
Epiphany. Every evening, people make their 
appearance in a variety of disguises ; nor is the 
diversion confined to the higher or richer classes, 
as government functionaries and merchants ; but 
is shared by the humblest, and by old and young 
alike. Fancy costumes and masks are procured 
by the wealthier inhabitants from Tobolsk, and 
are thus brought into use from year to year, 
while the lower classes present themselves in less 
costly dresses, but which answer the same 
purpose. They who are too poor to procure a 
different costume, borrow any garments, how- 
ever old and common from others, and dis- 
giiised in these, with a handkerchief drawn over 
the face instead of a mask, divert themselves as 
well as the best A merry heart makes every- 
thing go pleasant^. 



OF SIBERIA. 135 

On the approach of dusk the town is crowded 
with maskers, some on foot, others in sledges, 
proceeding from house to house ; and all frolic- 
some and happy, the more so if, as frequently 
happens, they find the doors of houses not 
bolted against them, and their owners willing to 
give them a welcome. Most of the masked 
parties enter the house without saying anything, 
or even having anything to say, and after loung- 
ing in the apartments for a few minutes, depart 
as they came, continuing their visits in this 
manner through the town. Personal acquaint- 
ances and friends, if they like to awaken curiosity, 
venture on some pantomimes agreeing with the 
characters they have assumed, but do not speak. 
These more licensed visitors, although they may 
not be recognized, are requested to remain 
longer in the house. After perambulating the 
whole town, the masked parties usually termi- 
nate their visits in some friendly circle, where 
they have been invited to pass the rest of the 
evening. 

The most distinguished of our masked com- 
pany consisted of government functionaries, 
with a sprinkling of the principal aristocracy of 
the town. Among them we recognised the 



1 36 REVELATIONS 

director of police in a Cossack costume; the 
judge of the district dressed as a hussar ; and 
the paymaster-general as a lancer; while the 
postmaster wore the costume of a civilian of 
the seventeenth century ; the physician disguised 
himsdf as a woman ; the lady of th^ director of 
police appeared in a costume resembling a Cra- 
covian; the professor's sister wore a dress of a 
nondescript character, suggested by her own 

£mcy, and lastly our friend, Madame X 

and her brother were disguised as Turks. 

This numerous party were preceded by a 
violin-player, an addition which was considered 
a great novelty, and on that account much 
admired. They came to a stand before my 
apartments, and I could not, of course, do less 
than invite them in. Directly they entered, 
the violimst, dra¥m[ig his bow from behind his 
ear — as is the custom ¥rith many of these 
artists — struck up a popular Polish mazourka, 
awakening in my troubled heart a throng of 
veooUections. The masks then danced — or 
tiber attempted to dance, for the Berezovians 

it no true conception of that degant art. 

k 4Mh coupk performed their gynHans in 
^^^ Mitiire prompted, and after ^lending 



OF SIBERIA. 137 

an hour in such a manner as appeared to afford 
them great diversion, they left me, and pro- 
ceeded to another house. 

A custom exists at Berezov with which I 
was very much pleased, which is to preserve the 
articles of dress worn by members of the family 
at their maniage, and these are laid up in the 
wardrobe chamber from generation to genera* 
tion. It is, however, considered no desecration 
of these valued mementos to use them on the 
occasion of the Christmas masquerades ; and 
thus one may, at i^ch seasons, behold a series 
of costumes of past ages brought again to light, 
and it must be owned, that the re-appearance on 
the living scene of the identical wedding-dresses 
worn at different periods, recals the past more 
vividly than could be done by any records, or 
the most faithful traditions. For my own part, 
I examined them with the zeal and interest of 
an antiquary. 

The exceeding long nights of the Christmas 
season, are connected with a number of super- 
stitious observances and ceremonies. The eve 
of the New Year in particular is believed to be 
invested with marvellous attributes, enabling in- 
dividuals under certain conditions and influences, 



138 REVELATIONS 

to look into the secrets of the future. Indeed, 
the people of Berezov in general are exceedingly 
credulous, and prone to believe anything super- 
natural and wonderful, such as the existence of 
apparitions,, the efBcacy of incantations, and all 
sorts of shams. They are passionately fond of 
having their destiny foretold, and not only 
greedily listen, but give implicit faith to all 
kinds of tales, however marvellous they may be, 
not allowing any doubt to be cast upon them. 
Every one possesses an inexhaustible fund of 
such stories ; and though they are for the most 
part inconsistent with the ordinary course of 
nature, they are as firmly convinced of their 
truth, as if they related to something quite 
simple and self-evident. One story, which I 
happened to hear, is not a bad specimen of 
these wondrous tales, and will show to what 
an extent the credulity of the people is carried. 
It was narrated to me by no less an authority 
than a professor at the school of Berezov, and 
turns on an incident which he said had occurred 
to himself. 

M. Kalmykow, for that is the teacher's name, 
was, during the last winter, at a friend's house 
where there was an evening party, forming a 



OF SIBERIA. 139 

large circle. The company did not break up 
till unusually late ; and he himself left about 
an hour after midnight, and went towards home 
with a secretary of police, whose house was 
situated in the same part of the town as his 
own. But when they were passing the police- 
office, the secretary intimated that he would 
stop there, instead of going home, and sleep 
at the office, adding : " I do not wish to disturb 
my mother, who must have long since gone to 
bed, and perhaps would rebuke me for being 
out so late." Accordingly, they parted, and 
Professor Kalmykow continued his way alone. 
He had, however, gone but a few paces, when 
he perceived his former companion by his side^ 
and on expressing surprise, learnt that he had 
found the police-office shut, and was therefore 
compelled to go on, but, not to disturb his 
mother, he would pass the remainder of the 
night in the streets, till the people got up 
to light the fires, and he entreated the Pro- 
fessor to remain with him, and share his vigil. 
Kalmykow, however, being sleepy, would not 
assent to this proposition ; but, as he was much 
pressed, he at last acceded. The oight was 
very colij, and there was a piercing wind, and, 



140 REVELATIONS 

to protect himself from the blast, Kalmykow 
drew the hood of his fur shuba over his face, 
and kd the way into a bye-street. 

Having, traversed a couple or raore streets, 
the Professor's weariness became overpowering, 
and he b^ged his companion to go home ; but 
he replied that they had now to wait but a 
short time, and they still walked on, only at a 
quicker step, being benumbed with cold. After 
Walking for some time, Mr. Kalmykow thinking 
that they could not be far from his house, unco- 
vered his &jce to see where they were, and was 
much surprised, on looking round, to find that 
he was in a place which he did not recognize. 
He instantly turned to his companion to in- 
quire where they were, and found that he had 
vanished. 

He was now perfectly amazed, and made the 
sign of the cross. At last, through the twi- 
light of daybreak, he discovered that he was far 
from town, in a lonely spot by the river Way* 
gulka. He repeated the sign of the cross, and 
gaining strength from fear, ran as fast as he 
could towards the town, arriving quite breath- 
less at his own house, while all its inmates 
were yet buried in sleep. 



OF SIBERIA. 141 

Up to this moment everything appears natu- 
ral, and all might easily be accounted for. But 
next morning, the Professor meeting the Secre- 
tary, asked him why he had played him such a 
trick, and the latter, hearing to his astonishment 
the whole account of the incident, assured him 
that after he had parted with him in front of 
the police-office, he had been admitted into the 
police-office, and there remained for the rest of 
the night. The rest of the policemen, not 
excepting even the watchman on duty, bore 
testimony to what the Secretary stated. A few 
days after I had heard this story, I happened 
to meet the Sea*etary, and asked him con- 
cerning the real facts of the case; but aU I 
gained in reply was that he couM only testify to 
his having been in the Professor's company till 
they arrived at the police-office, where they had 
parted, and he did not again see him till the 
next day. 

This is but one of thousands of stories circu- 
lating at Berezov, which during the long winter 
evenings are recounted as something extraordi- 
nary and mysterious, and are received by the 
audit(n^ as unquestionable truths. It may 
indeed be ooi^^eded that some of the narratives, 



142 REVELATIONS 

however absurd they may be made, are not 
altogether without foundation; but the real 
facts are completely perverted by superstition. 
It is believed that the devil appears in a variety 
of forms, and plays his pranks on both men and 
women. At times he assumes the form of 
some animal of the chase, and leads the hunter, 
flattered with the hope of an easy conquest, from 
place to place in pursuit, until at last he be- 
comes entangled and bewildered in the forest. 
In such cases, the sign of the cross and prayer 
dispel the hellish illusion, and extricate the 
betrayed hunter from the difficulties of his situ- 
ation. Such incidents are multiplied, and re- 
peated with various embellishments, by those 
who relate these stories, without exciting the 
least surprise in the hearers, or awakening the 
smallest scepticism. It is even believed that in 
the interval between Christmas and Epiphany 
a person may discern in mirrors, arranged in a 
certain manner, any one they may think of and 
wish to see, though he may be at any distance 
from the place. New Year's Eve in particular 
is considered peculiarly favourable to this species 
of magic, and the belief in the appearance of 
the apparitions is so strong, that it is only a fear 



OF SIBERIA. 143 

of coming in contact with evil spirits, or of want 
of nerve to face the apparition invoked, that 
prevents the universal practice of the spell. 

Having heard so much of such things, I 
became curious to know how the people could 
have been brought to believe them, and on the 
eve of the New Year, I requested that mirrors 
should be arranged in the manner prescribed, 
that I might test the efficacy of the charm. My 
request was carried out with the strictest obser- 
vance of all the conditions appertaining to the 
magic art. Shortly before midnight, a mirror 
was placed obliquely on the table, with its top 
leaning towards the wall und having in front of 
it two lighted candles. Another mirror of smaller 
dimensions than that was put in my hands, ^th 
the glass turned from me, and held in such a 
way that I could only see over the upper part 
of the frame into the mirror before me. AH 
being arranged, I was left alone in the room, 
and the doors carefully shut, which is con- 
sidered an indispensable condition. ^ 

On casting my first look on the enchanted 
mirror, I saw two long rows of burning 
candles disappearing in a distant vista before 
me; and between them a: darkened corridor 



144 REVELATIONS 

of immense length terminating in impene- 
trable darkness. The fantastic play of lights 
reflected from the darkened ground, and which 
were very trying to the sight, did indeed, re- 
present to my imagination some undefined phan- 
tasmagoria; yet none of them could by any 
stretch of fancy be taken for distinct figures, and 
still less be recognized as those of friends. 

After half-an-hour of experimentalizing, I gave 
up in despair. My failure excited surprise, and 
was attributed to my want of belief. 

On my return home — the experiment having 
been tried at a friend's house — I related what 
had occurred to my landlady and h^ daughter, 
who were both strong believers in the spell. 
They would indeed scarcely kdmit the truth of 
my statement, and protested that if I had not 
succeeded, it was owing solely to a wrong 
arrangement of the mirrors. They urged me 
therefore, to make another trial, and I willingly 
agreed, but more with the view of convincing 
them of superstition than a hope of making any 
new discovery. Ev^thing was arranged as 
previously, all went out, and left me by myself. 

Seated before the mirror, I saw for a con- 
siderable time only the same appearance as before, 



OF SIBERIA. 145 

two rows of candles^ and a long jconidor between, 
and becoming weary, I was on the point of 
rising from the table, when a tiny little figurei 
with most distinctly defined human features, 
sprang from behind one of the rows of lights, 
and glided into the middle of the corridor. 
This sudden apparition arrested me. I resumed 
my seat, and began to look intently at the 
mirror. The figure was of very diminutive 
dim^ksions. Apart from its features, which 
were quite distinct, it appeared to be diffused 
on t^e darkened background of the corridor, so 
as to leave its shape and dress hardly discern* 
able. 

A few moments afterwards the figure sud- 
denly vamshed, and the whole space of the 
illumined vista of the corridor became quite 
vacant. But this time I did not lose my 
patience as before, but kept my eyes fixed 
steadfastly on the mirror. While thus gazing, 
I saw another figure in ^the vista, which, after 
remaining a few momients, vanished like the 
first, but was speedily followed by a succession 
of fresh phantoms, who came and wcait in the 
same manner. 

VOL. II. ' L 



146 REVELATIONS 

This testimony cf my own senses tended in 
a great decree to sharpen my curiosity ; still, I 
must confess^ it did not in the least excite my 
imagination. Accustomed as I have ever been 
to subject eveiything to the scrutiny of reason, I 
coolly considered what all this might mean, and 
not arriving at any satisfiictory solution, I went 
on with my experiments. What, however, 
struck me most was^ that none of the faces, 
which I had hiUierto observed, perfectly resem- 
bled eadi other. Some were kmg, others short, 
some broad, others oval or round. Still they 
appeared aU to preserve the same attitude and 
colours, and the same braiding of the hair on 
their heads. 

lliis accidental observation suggested to me 
tiie question, whether Uie figures seen in the 
mirror were not reflections of myself, caused by 
a process of manifold refi'action, from one 
mirror to the other, and modified by the 
inclination of rays in such a manner as to 
appear to my eyes with the characteristic fea- 
tures I have described. 

With a view of convincing myself how far 
this supposition might be true, I placed my 



OF SIBERIA. 147 

hand on my head, and from that moment 
all the figures appeared with white ribbtods 
on their heads. 

To test the matter farther, I rose and put on 
a cap. After I changed my position I could 
not, for a considerable time, find the exact 
inclination of the mirrors towards each other tq 
enable me to bring about the desired result. 
I turned them in different directions again and 
again, but nothing would appear but the two 
rows of lighted candles. Tired and vexed at 
my fi*uitless labour, I was about to abandon 
further investigation, when, by a casual move- 
ment, I hit just on the very point I wanted^ 
and * the diminutive little figures commenced 
leaping out anew — but now with caps on their 
heads. 

Here I obtained an undeniable proof that 
these figures were but a refraction of my own 
person. One difliculty only remained yet 
to be solved — ^namely, how my own figure, 
which was covered by the mirror before me, 
could be reflected in full in the mirror op- 
posite. 

After a minute investigation, I perceived that 
the edges of the mirror standing on the table 

L 2 



148 REVELATIONS 

formed a polished border with a somewhat 
obliX)ue deviation ; from which obliquity, it ap* 
pears the radii of my figm*e were reflected on the 
mirror I held in my hand, and from it again on 
Ihs^ beyond. 1 ought to add that besides the 
diminutive figures, there presented themselves 
in the mirror (^her optical phenomena, which 
it was difficult satisfactorily to account for — 
for instance, I saw a turret with balconies, 
which were both of regiilar dimensions ; and a 
garden, or rather ^ sort of grove, formed of 
leafless trees. 

I most carefully examined all the surround- 
ing objects in my room, without finding for 
a long time a single one by which these 
phenomena could be explained, but the difiSi- 
culty stimulated me to further inquiry. Finally, 
I unravelled the secret. The mirror in my 
hands was broken at one of the angles, and the 
fracture glued over with a tiny slip of paper. 
This fractured part, being many times reflected 
in the other glass, was transformed into a 
perfect garden or grove, and had arisen simply 
from the reflection of a thread which had 
accidentally come in contact with the frame 
on the very spot where I held my hand. 



OP SIBERIA. 149 

There remained yet one phenomenon to be 
e^Iained, and this cost me by far more trouble 
than any of the others. At times, I perceived 
at the end of the darkened corridor sudden 
gleams of light, appearing in the shape of 
a smi; their rays and their luminous centre 
being so dazzling, and vanishing so quickly, as 
to render it quite impossible to determine their 
precise character. For some time, the pheno-^ 
menon was of frequent recurrence, but soon 
afterwards it entirely vanished, and I was 
unable by any means to bring it back. 

After a minute examination of everything 
around, I obtained a solution of the mystery. 
On the wall, just opposite the mirror, hung a 
doak, from ihe hood of which dangled an orb of 
brass, shining brilHaQdy ; and this, when the 
cloak moved, threw the rays of light in a certain 
angle on the mirror, where they were concentrated, 
and being refracted in the looking-glasses, ap- 
peared in the background as I have described. 

Having in this manner discovered the causes 
of the different visual phenomena, I proceeded 
triumphantly to my hostess's room to communi- 
cate the result, flattering myself with the hope 



150 REVELATIONS 

that the experiment I had made^ would in a 
great measure tend to destroy among the 
Berezovians their belief in supernatural revela- 
tions. But I was grievously disappointed. No 
one would so much as listen to the explanations 
I wished to give them ; but all exclaimed with 
one voice that the figures I had seen were those 
of my children^ and that I only refused, through 
obstinacy, to believe in the evidence of my own 
senses. The worst of it was that, on the dav 
Mowing, the whole of the town was put in 
possession of all the particulars of the discoveries 
I was allege^ to have made, accompanied with 
stiU more wonderful additions ; and thus, instead 
of diminishing, as I had hoped, I only added to 
the stock of fabulous lore already in drculation 
among these simple people. 



OF SIBERIA. 151 



CHAPTER VIII. 

New Year's Day — Letters from home — ^Evening party 
— Various games and songs — Judge Slobodzki — 
Expelling the devils — ^The town in alarm — Arrival of 
a Polish physician — Fair at Berezov — Fur trade — 
Berezovian foxes — A walk in a severe frost. 

The first day of the new year, 1840, was 
Tishered in by the ringing of the church bells, 
the merry peal of which reminded every one of 
the visits and felicitations which were to be 
interchanged with their friends. This custom 
of mutual congratulations, an unmeaning form- 
ality when there is nothing to be congratulated 
upon, wrung a deep sigh from my bosom. 
" Would to God," I exclaimed, " that the new 
year were already at an end !" 

Early in the morning, the men set out to call on 



152 REVELATIONS 

their friends, and about njid-day the ladies went 
on their round of congratulatory visits. They 
were attired in expensive and splendid dresses, 
as on Christmas-day. The universal merri- 
ment and gaiety, far from inspiring me with 
cheerfulness, impressed me with the deeper 
melancholy. What I most wished for, was to 
shut myself up, and remain alone in my 
solitude ; but could I close my door against the 
friends who were so kind to me, especially on 
a day which brought them so much felicity? 
And on that very day heaven illumined even 
my horizon with a beam of happiness. The 
post arrived ; and I received letters from home. 
Thus, amidst universal rejoicing, and expres- 
sions of good win . from strangers, the tender 
voices of my children reached me from afar. 
Never could I have commenced the new year in 
this place with more {deasant feelings. 

To render that' day a complete festival to me^ 
I was invited by the lady of the director of 
police, to an evening party at her residence, to 
meet many of my Berezovian acquaintances. 
The company, which consisted of the principal 
persons of the place, was numerous, and the 
reception was as cordial as munificent. The 



OF SIBERIA. 163 

entertainment commenced with cofFee, tea, con- 
fectionaiy, and a variety of sweetmeats. These 
were followed by various amusements, and 
dancing not being yet the fashion, social games 
were resorted to in lieu of it. Some of these 
pastimes belong exclusively to the day. One^ 
which bears the name of dish-songs, (pod^ 
bliudniS piemi), is conducted in the following 
manner : 

The persons who take part in the game, and 
who are usually young maidens, deposit some 
article of jewellery, as a ring, ear-'ring, broach, 
or clasp in a deep dish, which is presented to 
a married lady who can sing the dish-songs. 
The choice, on the present occasion, fell on 
Madame X — — , who, accordingly, took the 
dish with the forfeits, covered it with a napkin, 
and gathering up the comers, made it look like 
a tambourin, or a drum. The maidens then 

formed in a circle, and Madame X , 

holding the dish or urn of fate in her hand, 
begun chanting in a slow and solemn tone 
some stanzas of a song appropriate to the 
occasion, at the same time shaking the urn so 
as to mingle the forfeits together. Every onie of 



1 54 REVELATIONS 

the party joined in her song, forming thus a 
kind of chorus, which was noisy and joyous 
enough, though not throughout harmonious. 

At the termination of the different stanzas, 
each of which bore some prophetic allusion to 
matrimony, a maiden approached the dish, and« 
thrusting her hand under the napkin, drew 
forth at random one of the articles of jewellery. 
This done, all crowded round the vase to learn 
what was symbolized by the .trinket, and every 
one was obliged to take to herself the prophecy 
contained in the chanted verse, whether it were 
good or bad, flattering or sarcastic. Thus the 
several stanzas gave rise to much merriment, 
and the company indulged in jokes, allusions, 
inuendoes, and frequently perverted interpre- 
tations of the prophetic verse, as the position 
of the person to whom it referred admitted of 
such femiliarity. The songs in circulation for 
this game are very numerous. I have seen a 
collection of them published in a book. 

This pastime was succeeded by others, most 
of them not unknown in our country, and 
which may even have been transplanted from it 
—-as the Censure, the Toilet (gotowalnia), and 



OF SIBERIA. 155 

the Gift {darowang)^ Others were exclusively 
national, among which were the Czar, the 

* Our author's conjecture on this suhject is fully 
borne out by history, one part of the ancient inhabitants 
of Berezov having originally come, as she has before 
shown, from the Don and the Dnieper, and having been 
since augmented by the exiles from the Lithuanian and 
Polish provinces, who carried with them many of their 
own usages and customs. These have been preserved, 
not merely in tradition, but in actual practice, as the 
dearest remembrances of the land of their birth. Hence 
the identity between many other Siberian customs with 
those existing now-a-days among the people of the 
Dnieper, the Niemen, and the Bug, may easily be ac- 
counted for ; such as the posedienki, or sittings in sum- 
mer, after the shades of evening have interrupted all 
out-of-door labours, and which, under the plea of rest, 
are often protracted, at the house of some hospitable 
neighbour, till late in the night ; and the wetcherinki, or 
evening meetings, during the long nights of winter, 
which, like the former, are spent by young people in 
playing various games, and singing and dancing, to 
music of the balabcUka, a kind of cithar. All the cere- 
monies of courtship cgid marriage are copied by the 
Siberians from the land of their forefathers. Among 
these is a diewishnikj or maiden festival, in which the 
friends of the bride are the actors. Having been regaled 
with cedar-nuts and wine, the maidens, under the leader- 
ship of the swacha, sing in chorus certain ancient wed- 
ding songs, in which the bride is compared with a swan. 



156 REVELATIONS 

Choristers (korowody), and the Boyars. I shall 
describe one or two of them, and the rest will 
be easily understood, as they are all nearly of 
the same character. 

In the game of Choristers, the players, who 
iare of both sexes, range themselves in a ring, 
resembling that of the Mazourka dance, after 
which they move gravely round in a circle, 
singing together stanzas of songs composed for 
the purpose. In one of the stanzas a person is 
required to step into the middle of the ring, 
where he is encircled, as it were, with an 
ever-moving wreath, out of which he has 
to select a partner. The chorus meanwhile, 
chant an appropriate stanza of the song, 

Dr some other aquatic bird, about to be torn from them, 
and there is much waifing and lamentation at her fate. 
The same is done at the ceremony of loosing the 
bride's tresses, which takes place in the presence of the 
bridegroom, and by which the cessation of the bride's 
independence is symbolised. These ceremonies are fol- 
lowed by others at church, where, according to the an- 
cient Slavonic custom, the bridegroom and the bride are 
either crowned, or led around the altar, with crowns 
carried above their heads. In ancient songs, throughout 
Slavonia, the bridegroom is represented as a king, and 
the bride as a queen.-— En. 



OF SIBEttlA. 157 

and when this, which is supposed to opa^te 
as a charm is ended, the choice must be 
made, which is done by dropping a hand- 
kerchief on ihe ground before tte elect, \siu), 
taking \ip the handkerchief, enters the <^*cle^ 
and places it on the shoulders of her partner. 
They then move about together, chanting an 
appropriate stanza. Having &ushed thdb* song, 
the couple give each oth^ a kiss, when the first 
person unites with the ring, while the second 
remains in the middle, where, a£ker the same 
ceremonies, she chooses another partner, and is 
h^^elf emandpated. Thus the game proceeds 
till all the players have had tixeir turn in the 
ring. 

The game of Czar is something similar. It 
commences with a choral song by a circle of 
players. After the first chant is over, the Czar 
is called upon by the choir to choose a wife 
— ra king's daughter. Accordingly, one is 
named by the Czar, and he endeavours to seize 
her, but die tries to ^cape outside the ring. 
The Czar pursues her, and after she has evaded 
him for some time, succeeds in making her a 
captive. He then leads her into the midst of 
the circle, and the company b^n a chant, 



158 REVELATIONS 

describing their mutual duties towards each 
other. The princess is admonished not to fly 
from the Czar, but to respect and bow to him ; 
and, accordingly, she instantly makes a low 
curtsey to the monarch. After this, she is 
ordered to jump ; and this she must also do, as 
well as anything she may be commanded. Then 
the Czar is addressed, and admonished to treat 
this king's daughter well, and not to upbraid her, 
nor to beat her, but to love and kiss her. The 
Czar, in proof of his readiness to fulfil these 
conditions, immediately gives the princess a 
kiss, which she returns, in token of her 
obedience and love. This terminates the career 
of the two actors, and their places are taken by 
others. 

The game of Boyar is, with some slight 
variation, conducted in the same way. Indeed 
most of the games of the Berezovians terminate 
in kisses. All penalties for forfeits 2^nd for the 
recovery of them are thus discharged, kisses 
being established as the standard medium of 
exchange. 

These amusements were protracted till four 
o'clock in the morning, at which hour the guests 
sat down to a plentiful supper. The proceed- 



OP SIBERIA. • 159 

ings had frequently been interrupted by various 
masks, and persons in disguise, who forming no 
part of the invited company, seemed to have 
good-naturedly come in to make a display of 
their costumes ; and after walking for a while 
about the apartments, retired unknown. 

At this New Year's assembly 1 made a new 
acquaintance, in the person of a functionary, 
named Slobodski, a judge of the Berezov district. 
He was by name as well as by birth a Pole. 
He still continued a Roman Catholic; but having 
been for a number of years in the service, he 
had forgotten the customs and even the language 
of his native country. 

The day preceding the eve of Twelth Night, 
that is the 4th. of January, is the last allowed 
by the Church for the favourite diversion of 
masks, and on this closing day the public outdid 
all the others in the variety and splendour 
of their postumes. Some persons appeared 
seized by madness. I saw with my own eyes a 
dame of sixty, dance on a large shovel {lopata)^ 
her grey, dishevelled hair covering her face 
instead of a mask — conduct which not only 
struck me as a disgrace to her age, but which 
painfully recalled to my memory what ancient 



1 60 REVELATIONS 

tradition recorded of the revels of the witches 
on the Bald Mountain (Lysa Gora)* — filling 
my mind with horror and aversion. 

I here likewise saw engaged in these mad 
CBvds, a mother who but a few weeks ago had 
lost her daughter, her only child ; over whose 
bier I had myself shed tears deeply compassion- 
ating the parent, whose wounds I had thought to 
be 80 deep as to remain for ever incurable. 
Yet now she presented a spectacle as unsuited 
to her age as to her position — a breach of good 
feeling at which I could not but be shocked. 
At length aU this madness came to an end, and 
was followed by a fast-day — the eve of Twelfth- 
Night. 

* I^aa Gorft, meaning literally Bald Mountain, and 
according to traditions, it was in Poland what the 
Blocksberg was in Germany — a spot where witches an- 
ciently held their assemblies. The Polish witches used 
to ride to the rendezvous through the air on shovels, 
while the German rode on broomsticks. The Lysa 
Gk>ra is celebrated in Polish history as the site of a 
temple devoted to a Slavonic deity. Subsequently, on 
the conversion of the Poles to Christianity, a church, 
called the Holy Cross, was built on the spot, with a 
monastery of the Benedictines, and both these edifices 
are-sliU in ezistencc-^ED. 



t 

OF SIBERIA. 161 

Early next morning — that is, on the 5 th of 
January — just as w€ were getting up, our hxtdr 
lady entered our apartment, holding in one hand 
a vase filled with holy water, and a sprinkling 
hrush in the other. Astonished at this appari- 
tion, I asked what it meant ; but without suffer- 
ing a wcH'd to escape her lips, she oommeoced 
sprinkling the holy water in all directions. First 
she threw it on the walls and in the com^is 
of the room ; afterwards she crept under the 
beds and the sofa ; and then climbed up the 
stove, and behind it — and so, successively, to4iie 
innermost recesses and crevices of the apart- 
ments, besprinkling them all copiously with the 
contents of her vessd. We soon saw that the 
formula would not admit of her gratifymg our 
curiosity by a single word until she had performed 
what she had to do, and therefore we waited the 
result in silence. When the sprinkling was 
finished, she began to explain her proceedings. 

"You have," said she, "received masks in 
your apartments, and with the masks devils 
intruded into the house ; for, without their aid, 
how could the maskers turn round and dance 
as they did?" She then further informed us 

VOL. II. M 



162 REVELATIONS 

that, although the favourite season of these 
hellish spirits was past, they were unwilling to 
aimdon the society of man, with whom they 
had been fraternising; and they were in the 
habit, when the festivities were over, of secreting 
, themselves in comers, whence they occasionally 
emerged to play off their pranks, causing a 
good deal of mischief. She assured us, however, 
that we had now nothing to fear on this score, 
as she had taken care to penetrate every nook, 
even to the smallest chink, so that they could 
find no refuge in the house. This speech she 
ended with a hearty laugh at the discomfiture of 
the infernal imps. 

On thefollowingnight there was a violent storm, 
and the wind beat against the window-shutters in 
such a manner that we could not sleep. In the 
morning our landlady came in, and asked us 
how we had passed the night. On giving her 
a favourable account, as we did not wish to 
distress her, she was extremely rejoiced, and 
attributed our quiet slumbers to the precaution 
she had taken ; assuring us, at the same time, 
that the storm and the knocking at the window- 
shutters were simply owing to the malignant 



OF SIBERIA. 163 

spirits. These gentry, we found, having been 
expelled by the power of the holy water, had . 
been attempting to come back through the 
window, but not finding the smallest chink 
unconsecrated, they were obliged to give up 
the project, and in revenge endeavoured to beat 
down the window-shutters. 

The Berezovians may be said to be still 
moving within the precincts of the invisible 
world, where their excessive credulity keeps their 
minds enthralled ; and those who should endea- 
vour by the force of reasoA to emancipate them 
from these superstitions, would,' I fear, destroy 
the most poetical element of their existence, 

I was told by a young and jovial wag here, 
that having exhausted all imaginable means for 
disguise during the previous season, he had con- 
ceived the absurd idea of besmearing his face with 
soot, and putting on a black costume, with a tail 
attached behind, according to the popular con- 
ception of the Evil One. In this disguise he 
waited till the masks visited his house. Soon 
a numerous party of them arrived in sledges, 
and not wishing to be seen, he concealed himsdf 
in the lobby, till they were departing, when he 

M 2 



1 64 REVELATIONS 

mixed with the crowd, and thai took his seat 
. in one of the sledges. 

They, halted before another house, and were 
all alighting, when he was perceived, and their 
consternation and. fright may be more easily 
imagined than described. Before many minutes 
elapsed all the sledges w^e deserted. The 
maskers flew in different directions, and i^»-ead 
terror among Ihe inhabitants in whose houses 
they took refuge, and the whde town was soon 
filled with consternation. The young man who 
was the cause of th6 panic, afraid of incurring 
a censure from the party whom he had so 
frightened, himself flew home as fast as he 
could, threw off his obnoxious disguise, and 
took good care to keep the secret of the wild 
prank he had played. An incident like this, 
of course, was not forgotten, and went far to 
confirm the people in their belief that devils 
oflen mixed in the masquerades. 

Soon after Christmas our society here re- 
ceived a most agreeable accession, by the arrival 
of Dr. Wakulinski who had been long expected, 
having been appointed by the Government a 
physician at Berezov. He had been educated at 



OF SIBERIA. 165 

the University of Wilna, at the expense of 
the Government, and was sent to this distant 
place to complete the period of public service 
assigned to the alumni of that class. This 
welcome incident was followed by the fair of 
Berezov, of which I had previously ]>eard so 
much, that I had great expectations of it. I 
imagined, indeed, that it would be something 
like our own fairs, and expected to seiei more 
people, more movement, than is usual in ordi* 
nary life. But in this I was disappointed. A 
few merchants of Tobolsk and Sargat, in their 
way home from the Obdorsk fair, lingered 
awhile at Berezov, and were lodged in the 
houses of their old acquaintances. During their 
sojourn, they employed themselves in reloading 
the skins they had brought from the Obdorsk 
fair, and dispatching the cargoes to Irbit The 
remainder of these goods was disposed of by 
wholesale among the mercantile houses in town 
trading with the Ostiaks, and also in small 
portions to the Ostiaks themselves, settled 
in the vicinity of Berezov. These mercantile 
operations, however, are transacted in the va- 
rious offices, and in so quiet a way as to be 
scarcely perceptible out of doors. 



166 REVELATIONS 

The litde stir that pervades at Berezov fair, 
is excited by traders from Suzdal on their 
return from Obdorsk. This dass of pedlars 
carry about boxes of sundry conunodities, such 
as needles which are as thick as spikes, pens as 
bhmt and clumsy as nails, ribands, tape, incense, 
&c., and sell them in retail. Canvas for worsted 
work and designs of gorgeous colours, however 
tasteless and bizarrey find a ready market at 
Berezov. Some of the rich amateurs have the 
walls of theii" apartments adorned with this sort 
of tapestry, and women take them as patterns 
for their beadwork. During the fair the whole- 
sale merchants of Berezov buy up all kinds of 
fur from the small dealers, who may have 
acquired them fi*om the Ostiaks and Samoieds. 
These articles they pack on sledges, and go with 
them direct to the Irbit fair. In this way con- 
siderable quantities of furs are dispatched yearly 
from this place, consisting of the skins of white 
reindeer, squirrel, ermine, fox, young reindeer 
{nepluy^y and nomiki.* These skins form the 
basis of the fur trade. The value fixed on them 

* Nomihi, animals little known elsewhere, and living 
in subterranean holes — nom, in Slavonic, meaning a 
hole. 



OF SIBERIA. 167 

in this place is accepted as a standard value 
everywhere, and their prices remain fixed, 
scarcely ever varying. The price of other furs, 
on the contrary, varies very much in the market, 
depending frequently on their excellence and 
beauty. Such is the case with grey fox skins 
(siwodu8hlci)y the price of which frequently 
ranges from twenty-five to one hundred and 
twenty assignat rubles ; and in like manner the 
skin of the black fox and of various species of 
striate fox, as well as the fur of blue reindeer 
and sables, is verv uncertain. 

In my estimation, however, no fur is equal 
in beauty to that of the black fox. The hair is 
long, soft and glossy, and as black as charcoal, 
without any admixture of brown, except a very 
narrow yellow stripe running from the throat to 
the belly in the shape of a cross. On its legs a 
silvery hair, shooting out from the black, con- 
tributes to heighten the effect of the jet and 
throws out its lustre. These skins fetch four 
himdred assignat rubles, and are such a rarity 
that at the latest Obdprsk fair only twenty- 
eight could be procured. 

The skins of foxes from the district of 
Berezov are far more prized than those brought 



1 68 REVELATIONS 

from the steppe — not to speak of the com- 
mooest foxes as hialodushki/^ a name derived 
fiom their colour. This is a yellowish-white, 
intennixed in scmie parts with spots of black 
hair. Even these obtain a higher price than 
those of the steppe. The latter are commonly 
browner; but tiieir hair is dry and rough and 
fiaUe to be soon rubbed off, whereas the fur of 
the more northern r^on is .distinguished by a 
dense soft hair, and usually is much more 
durable. 

The fur trade extends to the sldns of a 
flpecies of ducks, called gogarki; which are 
most beautiful in appearance, and much in 
demands Their colour is a dark violet, and 
the skin is very strong and elastic. They are 
used for httle caps, and for outside coverings 
of fur shubas. A quantity of feathers and 
swan skins are also exported from this place. 

Though Berezov is admitted to be the seat 
of trade for the most valuable and most costly 
skins, yet, strange to say, it is very difficult to 
procure in the town any fiir garment ready for 
use. There are, in fact, no proper furriers or 

* Bialoduihki, literally, means "white souls.*' 



OF SIBERIA. 169 

tanners here. All the hides and skins are sent 
either to Irbit or Nijni Novogorod, where th^ 
are sold by fur dealers in their raw state, and 
undergo the process of tanning and dressing 
by others, and not till then do they find their 
way back in a finished condition to Berezov. 
Thus fur garments of the choicest quality are 
obtained in these towns at a mudi more reason- 
able price than at the original market. 

The whole of the furs sold at Obdorsk as 
yasak, are in the first instance brought to the 
Custom-house at Berezov, and afterwards trans- 
ported to the Government stores at Tobolsk. 
Here the skins of inferior quality are sold, and 
the more valuable portion sent to St. Peters- 
burg. The last frequently includes most 
exquisite specimens. 

The severe fi-ost of the winter did not keep 
me indoors. Even when the mercury had frozen, 
and the alcohol, or spirit thermometer, was at 
50° Reamur, I went out to try what eflFect 
it would produce upon me, and particularly on 
my skin and lungs. Much to my surprise, I 
did not experience any unpleasant sensation. I 
observed, however, that my breath was imme- 



1 70 REVELATIONS 

diatdy transformed into a visible thick column 
of condensed vapour; and in all probability 
that very column surrounding me in a great 
d^ee screened my lungs from coming into 
immediate contact with the external air. The 
saUva, before it reached the ground, was con- 
gealed in the air. Owing, perhaps, to the 
quantity of clothing which I put on, the frost 
could not much affect my skin, and the little 
portion of my face that I had left uncovered 
could hardly be made the subject of an 
experiment. 

At the approach of winter, all the birds, 
unable to sustain the severity of frost, leave 
Berezov in flocks, with the single exception of 
the magpie, which, while keeping dose to the 
precincts of the town, remains m undisputed 
possession of the aerial regions. There are no 
animals in the forests but those covered with 
thick warm fur, which is impervious to cold, 
and which Nature, in bountiful regard to their 
condition, has made denser and richer than 
that of any animals of their kind inhabiting 
more southern regions. 

Despite the intensity of the cold, our land- 



OF SIBERIA. 171 

lord sent out his servants to the river-side to 
fetch some hay. Two of the servants returned 
with frost-bitten faces. Brandy was applied to 
the frozen parts, and the application repeated 
until the smarting pain diminished. The parts 
continued for some time red, as if they had 
been subjected to blisters. 



1 72 REVELATIONS 



CHAPTER IX. 

Matrimonial alliance — Twelfth Night, or the Maslanca 
/^e-^— Regulations restricting the sale of spirits — Visit 
from an exiled Tartar Khan — His dress and orders — 
Ceremony in Lent, and its effects — Remarks on duel- 
ling — Lenten diet — Its effects on health — Assimila- 
tion of Russian settlers to the Ostiaks. 

Dr. Wakulinski, whose arrival 1 have already 
noticed, had not been long at Berezov, when an 
attachment sprang up between him and my 
friend Josephine. She received his declaration, 
and the feeling being reciprocal, their marriage 
only waited the consent of the Emperor.* 

* Persons banished to Siberia, whatever their previous 
rank, become serfs of the crown, the property of the 
Czar, and cannot even marry, as in the instance here 
mentioned, without his consent. 



OF SIBERIA. 173 

Nothing could be more gratifymg to me thaa 
this event. Berezov would no longer be lonely 
and solitary to Jose^^ne. Love, when mutual, 
can render any place pleasant and agreeable. 
If the impediments arising out of Josephine's 
peculiar position could be only removed, and 
the alliance consummated, I felt confident that 
they would make a happy couple. Dr. Waku- 
linski being a man of excellent disposition, with 
youthful and unsullied feelings, and Josephine's 
character mild and affectionate. 

On the day which brought about this happy 
event, sitting at nightfall by my frame-work at the 
window, I heard a tinkling of bells in the streets, 
and a tumultuous noise from a crowd of people. 
Amidst the complete silence which prevails at 
Berezov, and an existence so imiform^ the most 
trifling incident is apt to attract attention. I 
tried to look through the window to see what 
had happened, but the thick incrustation of ice 
on the panes debarred all sight. Meanwhile the 
noise approached nearer, and grew more audible. 
At last I foimd one spot in the window more 
transparent, and looking through, I saw a mul- 
titude of people assembled round a cart of extra- 
ordinary construction, drawn by a nimiber of 



1 74 REVELATIONS 

horses, adorned with bells of various sizes, which 
tinkled at every movement. 

The long, huge sledge bore on the top a large 
wheel, in a horizontal position, from the centre 
of which, placed in the axle-hole, rose a high 
mast, surmounted by another wheel of smaDer 
dimensions. A niunber of ropes were secured 
to the upper wheel, whence they descended out- 
side the lower one to the base of the sledge, 
forming a sort of cone, which was covered with 
coarse canvas, so as to present the appearance of 
an Ostiak tchoum. This movable tent was occu- 
pied by about fifteen persons in masks, while one 
man, also masked, stood on the upper wheel, at the 
very summit of the mast, a spectacle altogether 
amusing, though one could not but feel alarmed 
for his safety. The car was surroimded by a 
vast crowd of people, every one here being 
eager for novelty and frolic, arid it came to 
a stand just in front of our house. 

Some of the masked persons now descended 
from the platform, and entered my apartment, 
asking me whether I would receive their way- 
faring crew. I could not do otherwise than 
comply with their request, and thereupon the 
whole company of masks entered, followed by 



OF SIBERIA. 175 

« 

as many of the spectators as our rooms would 
hold. 

The costumes of the maskers were a most 
extraordinary burlesque, comprising coats of 
matting, edged with galons and rich embroidery, 
dresses made of shavings of wood, and the like 
oddities. As soon as they entered, they began 
to dance, and the performance w^s most gro- 
tesque. Their music was the balabaikdy a sort 
of guitar, which excited the greatest merriment 
and delight among the spectators. After they 
had thus amused themselves for some time, the 
itinerant actors again moimted their Thespian 
car, and followed by a crowd of spectators, which 
increased at every step, proceeded to visit other 
houses, where they went through the same per- 
formance. 

I was afterwards informed this mummery is 
called maslanca (butter-milk), being com- 
menced on Thursday after the so-called 
Cheese-Sunday, amidst general rejoicings and 
shouts, and continued without interruption till 
Saturday. On that day, the car is drawn 
with great pomp and solemnity, and amidst 
a vast concourse of people, to the outskirts 



176 REVEUITIONS 

of the town, and there broken in pieces ; and 
this operation is called the burial of butter- 
milk.* 

^ This Maslancaf^e — or MaslimcOy as it is otherwise 
called, is celebrated in many parts of European Russia, 
though everywhere varying in its features, and often 
modified by European manners. A curious account of 
its celebration at St. Petersburg, which terminated in a 
dreadful catastrophe, is given by M. Jermann, a modem 
German writer : •' Some years ago," he says, " the per- 
formances of the pantomime company of the German 
Lehman were the chief attraction of the Maslinica, the 
greatest and most thoroughly national festival of the 
Russians, which occurs in the last week of the carnival. 
There was a perfect rage for these pantomimes; all 
Petersburg flocked to see them ; and although they were 
repeated every two hours, the temporary theatre in 
which they were played, upon the Admiralty Square, 
was continually filled to sufibcation. During one of the 
performances, whilst the pit was in full glee and uproar 
of delight, the harlequin suddenly rushed upon the 
stage, and exclaimed : ' Fire ! sauve qui pent P The 
announcement was received with a general burst of 
laughter, at what was taken for a stupid joke. The 
misapprehension was fatal, for it shortened the brief 
space during which escape was possible, and in a few 
moments the flames burst out from behind the scenes, 
and the wooden building was in a blaze. The audience. 



OF SIBERIA. 177 

As merry-making is the beginning, so it is 
the end of this droll festival ; and the funeral 
is accompanied with copious libations, which 
do not cease till the last moiety furnished 
by the liberality of the spectators has been 
expended. 

with wild terror, rushed to the doors ; unfortunately 
these opened inward, and the pressure of the frantic crowd 
closed them as effectually as iron bars and bolts. Exit 
was impossible. A workman outside of the theatre, 
who had assisted in its construction, stepped forth, and 
declared that he knew every joint of the boards and 
beams, and could quickly open a passage, and wished to 
make an aperture with an axe. But the budnik, or 
policeman on duty, would not permit this to be done till 
bis superiors came to decide upon the matter. At last 
urgent necessity overcame every other consideration; 
the punctilious police agent was pushed aside, several 
men seized axes, and soon a large opening was made in 
the side of the building. A dense cloud of smoke made 
the crowd recoil, and when it had cleared away a 
horrible spectacle presented itself. In closely packed 
masses sat men, women, and children, apparently still 
gazing at the stage, which was a sheet of flame. Rescue 
had come too late ; the sudden smoke, filling the 
crowded building, had stifled the entire audience : not 
one was saved." — Bilder aus 8t Petersburg, von E. 
Jermann. Berlin, 1851. 

VOL. II. N 



1 78 REVELATIONS 

Drunkenness may be said to be the vice of 
this northern region, and temperance is the 
rarest of virtues. 

From the humblest Ostiak to the highest 
imperial functionary, with very few exceptions, 
all evince a strong propensity to the immoderate 
use of ardent spirits ; even among women 
intoxication is not uncommon. An Ostiak, 
who once gives way to this pernicious habit, 
will sacrifice his last fox-skin for a few glasses 
of brandy. This propensity in the natives is 
not unknown, and is but too often taken 
advantage of by designing Russian traders, 
who, being actuated* by nothing but their love 
of gain, secretly procure these poor ignorant 
people abundant supplies of spirits, and 
deprive them of all the earnings of their 
labour. 

To obviate these vile practices, the govern- 
ment has framed regulations restricting the expor- 
tation of ardent spirits into the interior of the 
country, and regulating the consumption by law. 
Not only at Berezov, but throughout the Siberian 
provinces, wherever stores of brandy are to be 
found, the inhabitants are unable to obtain at 



OF SIBERIA. 179 

one time more than a certain quantity of spirits. 
This restriction extends even to the Government 
officials, who, when sent on a journey, are not 
permitted to take more spirits than is absolutely 
required for their personal use. Still itieans are 
found by all parties to evade the execution of the 
law. 

One day I received a visit from a Tartar 
Khan, who was brought here a few weeks pre- 
viously, having incurred a sentence of banish- 
ment in consequence of the revolt of the Tartar 
horde of which he was the chief. Not knowing 
a word of Russian, he came accompanied by a 
Tartar interpreter, as well as by some Kirghies 
who formed his suite. He was a man of about 
sixty years of age, hale, vigorous, and very cor- 
pulent, and rather given to garrulity. He 
expatiated on the splendour of his house, his 
riches, his children, and the number of his 
wives, mentioning one wife in particular with 
great emphasis. As this was all said in the 
Tartar language, it had to be repeated to me by 
the interpreter, but either distrusting the inte- 
grity of his spokesman, or fearing that he did 
not rightly imderstand him, he accompanied the 

N 2 



1 80 BEVELATIONS 

narrative witti explanatory gesticulations, whidi 
made it rather impressive. With tears in his 
eyes he compared his present miserable con- 
cUtion with his former prosperity, complaining 
that from the moment of his banishment he 
had not even once tasted foal's meat, which 
he considered a great grievance. He was now 
obliged to subsist on the allowance of fifty 
assignat kopdcs (about ten pence) per day. He 
expressed a great veneration for the Emperor 
Alexander, who had presented him with a golden 
medal emblazoned with his effigy, encircled by a 
double row of brilliants, and on the obverse 
bearing an inscription in Arabic. This he wore 
suspended from his neck by a blue ribbon. He 
also said that the same Emperor presented him 
with a splendid sword, the handle of which was 
studded with precious stones ; but he regretted 
that he had it not with him. 

He wore a long and capacious silk dress, in 
the fashion of a dressing gown, and a pointed 
velvet cap 'with ear flaps, and lined with sable. 
This he took off on entmng the room, keeping 
on the head only a small round scull cap of 
black velvet, embroidered with gold, and re- 



OF SIBERIA. 181 

sembling the krumkaf worn by the Polish 
Jews. 

The Khan complained bitterly of the state of 
emaciation and leanness, into which he had 
fallen, though it did not at all strike me, seeing 
his broad treble chin hang down on his chest, 
and the folds of his thick neck reposing on his 
shoulders. But in proof of his assertion he 
called my attention to his capacious garment, 
which, he said, was formerly but just wide 
enough to envelop his body. I found indeed 
that the Tartar estimate of beauty was regulated 
by the amount of fat, for even when dilating on 
the beauties of his favourite wife, he laid the 
greatest stress on her embonpoint^ and did all he 
could, by means of gestures, to impress me 
with B clear idea of her extraordinary rotun- 
dity. 

I observed that the medal which dangled 
from his neck was so covered with dirt, that, 
instead of being an ornament, it was an object of 
disgust, and I proposed that he should leave it 
with me, and I would have it cleaned for him. 
He was much pleased with this proposal, though 
it caused him some surprise, and he was, I could 



182 REVELATIONS 

see, rather disindined to part with the decora- 
tion, even for a moment. Still he had so much 
confidence in me, that he did not scruple to 
leave it. 

On the first day of Lent, it is customary at 
Berezov, for every one, without any exception, 
to call upon their neighbours and ask pardon 
for the transgressions and offences they may 
have committed against them. Hie jimior 
branches of a family especially, whatever is their 
d^ree of rdationship, are expected to perform 
this most solemn act towards their seniors. 
Not being at all aware of this custom, I went 
to pay a visit to Madame Nizgorodtyeow, whom 
I found receiving these penitential caDs fix)m 
the numerous members of her family — ^for a 
lady like her, both fix)m her age and superior 
position, and also fi*om having a number 
of children, grand-children, and other young 
relations, necessarily had a great number of 
visitors on this solemn day. Among others 
were most of the imperial fimctionaries, with 
their wives and children, and many of the citizens 
of Berezov, who were connexions of her wealthy 
house, and who were dressed in their holiday 



OF SIBERIA. 183 

garments. AU were bowing reverently before 
the old lady, and soliciting pardon of their 
offences. Her sons and daughters, sons-in-law, 
and danghters-in-law, and relatives, near and 
remote, were falling at her feet, and humbly 
supplicating her forgiveness. The venerable 
matron received these marks of homage with 
becoming dignity, and as not beyond what was 
her due. When this part of the ceremony was 
accomplished, the members of the family asked 
pardon of each other in the same humble man- 
ner, in the order of their age and rank. 

To me this spectacle presented something 
deeply affecting — something akin to my ideas 
of primitive Christianity. With the inhabitants 
of this remote part of the world, the custom is 
not a mere empty ceremony, but is really di- 
rected by religious feeling, and is accompanied 
by the most beneficial effects. I was assured 
that many persons who were known to have 
entertained a mutual grudge and hostility towards 
each other, on joining in this devotional act, so 
intimately connected with religious sentiments, 
have been led by the example of others, to 
forget their differences, and become reconciled 



1 84 REVELATIONS 

friends, and in case of parties showing no such 
feeling, their friends have interposed, and have 
hardly ever failed to bring about a reconciliation. 

Here it may be as well to remark that the quar- 
rels and disagreements which prevail here, differ 
as much in character from those arising among 
ci^zed communities as they do in their origin, 
and anger and revenge are manifested in a more 
striking manner. I will adduce but one ex- 
ample. ^ In a quarrel which recently took place, 
one man bit off his adversary's nose, and the 
sufferer was obliged to appear in public minus 
that important feature. Yet such acts are attri- 
buted to violent impulses of passion rather than 
a malevolent disposition. With these people, 
in fact, revenge is unpremeditated, and the result 
of the ungovernable fury of the moment. 

The savage practice of duelling, which is so 
much condemned both by religion and reason, 
but which Europe, the centre of civilisation, will 
not relinquish, has not yet penetrated to this 
remote comer of the world. In the event of 
their passions being aroused to a high pitch, 
the Berezovians will, indeed, come to blows, 
and even inflict wounds ; but as soon as their 



> 
OF SIBERIA. 185 

rage subsides, they take a rational view of 
their quarrel, and are easily prevailed upon to 
make it up. Moderation and forgiveness of 
injuries are thus commonly practised, and are 
commended as the highest virtues. 

I will relate one instance of generous for- 
bearance which came under my own knowledge. 
The day before Lent commenced, one of the 
most respectable and wealthy citizens of Berezov 
was assaulted in the street by a youDg man, a 
merchant's son, who was tipsy, an occurrence 
not imcommon during the carnival. In this 
state he was inclined to pick a quarrel with 
any one he chanced to meet, and happening to 
encounter this quiet pater familiaSy he, without 
any provocation, fell upon him, and beat him 
severely. The injured citizen, when calling at 
my house on the following day, asked me if I 
had witnessed the assault, as it took place just 
in front of my window. I replied in the nega- 
tive, and he then told me everything that had 
happened, adding: "Had I been inclined to 
defend myself, I could have repaid him with ten- 
fold severity, as I was perfectly sober, and am 
much stronger than he, and he was both drunk 



186 REVELATIONS 

and lame. But as the incident happened just 
in front of your house I was ashamed to retali- 
ate. What would yon have thought of me had 
you seen me outstepping the bounds of forbear- 
ance ? And what satisfaction could it be to me 
to have beaten a drunken man, who, besides, 
was a cripple ?" 

And ha*e I must bear witness that the mode- 
ration of the injured man was by no means 
attributable to cowardice, as he was vastly the 
superior in strength. Still I could not conceal 
from myself how very strange his conduct 
appeared, being totally at variance with my 
ideas on such matters, and, in fact, it grated on 
my feelings when I heard the story related by 
the suflferer himself. But whatever may have 
been my preconceived opinion, I could not help 
expressing my approval of the course he had 
pursued* 

Lent with the Siberians who belong to the 
Greek Church is very strictly observed, even 
fish being excluded from their table ; and as the 
country produces no vegetables, or fruit, their 
food is for the time necessarily very poor. The 
national kivaSy and dishes made of flour, grutz, 



05 SIBERIA. 187 

and barley, with the addition of some turnips 
and radishes, the only vegetables growing at 
Berezov, constitute nearly the whole of their 
culinary resources. 

Jnle preparation of their Lenten dishes the 
fat of fish is used, and the smell of this acces- 
sory is unbearable. Every Russian house, during 
Lent, is filled with the odour. Linseed and 
hemp-seed oils, disagreeable as their smell is, 
are, in comparison with the strong rancid stench 
of fish, absolute perfume. The slush is obtained 
by frying the entrails of the richer species of 
fish in the oven. When the fat has been thus 
extracted, the more solid portions of the fish are 
packed in casks, and preserved under the name 
of warki. The stench firom the warhi is even 
more repulsive than that of the fat; yet the 
Siberians are extremely fond of it. 

Oil of cedar-nuts is sometimes imported 
from Tobolsk; but as the article is reckoned 
a dainty, it makes its appearance only at the 
tables of the rich, and even then only on the 
occasion of great festivities. 

Berezov, indeed, is not unprovided with a 
considerable quantity of vegetable oil, though 



188 EEVELATIQNS 

it is never used for human food, and the inhabi- 
tants do not believe that it can be made avail- 
able for such a purpose. They employ it solely 
for the lamps before the images of their saints. 

Among the most exquisite damties of the 
table on fast days, may be reckoned the berries, 
golubitza and brusnitza. They are kept through- 
out the winter in a frozen state, and dissolved 
only when wanted for use. Syrups, refreshing 
juices, and various kinds of sweetmeats are 
made of tbem. They are also introduced into 
the pirog cakes, and are even very good in their 
natural state. The common, or every-day pirog, 
used on fast days, is most frequently perpared 
from turnip; it is served at table quite hot, 
immersed in the fat of fish. It cannot be called 
a great dainty, but it is more palatable than 
many other Lenten dishes. 

The Berezovians are passionately fond of raw 
fish. In winter they eat it in its congealed state, 
cut into small thin slices. They eat it cold, 
before it is freed from frost. Sometimes the 
slices are peppered, but they are never salted ; 
and this horrid mess is greedily swallowed. 
As soon as the dish is brought in, every one 



OF SIBERIA. 189 

pounces upon it, and helps himself to some 
slices, which he instantly devours. While the 
parties are thus regaling themselves, the hostess 
hastens to the pantry to fetch another dishful 
of the fish, and it is renewed again and again 
before all are satisfied. Fresh fish, eaten as it 
is taken from the river, is esteemed a great 
delicacy in summer. Indeed, so much and so 
imiversally is it prized, that when the fishermen 
are seen drawing their nets from the river, 
people of all kinds will flock to the spot, and 
as the fish are tossed out on the shore, join 
in the common feast. 

Persons composing a fishing party, are all 
provided with knives, and the instant that the 
n^t is drawn up, they spring upon it ; and every 
one selecting the fish he considers best, scrapes 
off the scales, and swallows it piece-meal, not 
only while the fish is yet alive, but actually 
quivering with pain. This banquet is discussed 
without either salt or bread. 

I had fi-equent opportunities of witnessing 
these scenes, and, seeing how much all the 
inhabitants relished this sort of food, I began 



'» 



1 90 REVELATIONS 

1^ at last to think that the aversion I felt to it, 

was but a prejudice, contracted by my education, 

I, and consequently I resolved to conquer it. With 

all the courage I could muster, I took up some 
fragments of fish, yet quivering with life ; but, 
alas! all my attempts to swallow them were 
' vain. Chew them as I might, they would 
not go down, and I was obliged, in defiance 
of my strongest determination, to spit them 
out. 

I was more successful in an experiment on 
a frozen fish, of which I was able to swallow 
a few slices ; and, though I cannot boast that 
I relished them much, or should choose it for 
my daily food, I at least succeeded in conquering 
my repugnance to it, so that I may absolutely 
aver, that, had it not been for the total absence 
of salt, and for the blood streaming from the 
fish while chewed, when it begins to thaw, 
and above all, for the idea, ever present to my 
mind, that I was actually eating raw fish, I 
should almost have attributed to it a delicate 
flavoiu-. This I can affirm on the authority 
of the Berezovians themselves, particularly those 



OF SIBERIA. 191 

who are in the habit of fishing in the Oby Sea, 
where they spend several months yearly, that 
raw fish is not only their daily food, but is 
considered by them the most wholesome and 
most palatable, and, on the other hand, they 
declare that boiled fish soon palls, and becomes 
distasteful to the stomach. The fishing parties, 
consequently, subsist almost entirely on raw fish, 
biscuits, and tea. 

The Berezovians also consider raw fish to be 
the most efficacious means of curing chronic 
diseases, and in cases of any one suffering from 
them a long time, losing strength and gradually 
declining, and the malady baffling all medical 
care, the patient is usually taken on the sea- 
shore, and there fed on raw fish, and frequently 
brought home in perfect health. I have myself 
seen an invalid, whose recovery had been des- 
paired of, and who was given up by medical 
men ; but who, after sojourning for several 
months on the sea-coast, and using the 
raw fish diet, had completely recovered his 
health. 

Whether it be owing to climate, or local 
necessities, or to continual intercourse with the 



192 KETELATIOKS 

mliveSy die Riwriaiw al BerczoT eat bodi fisli 
and meal in fbarrasw staie, espmaStj in winter 
wlien tiiej are frozen. Others d^^ht in 
sqiping die narm blood of sbogfatered reindeer^ 
and moat of Uiein eat their fiiod widioat a 
nartide of salt; thooeii that ccmdinient can 
easity be obtained at a triflii^ cost ; a snflkaent 
qoantitf of it beii^ abvays kept at the goYem- 
meai magazine, and sold at a moderate price. 
Indeed^ were die {nice of sah eren mudi 
higgler, it coaU make no diffidence to the 
wealthier class of the inhabitants, who can so 
well afford erery indulgence; and proems far 
their table die most expensive hcniries. But 
salt is not at all in use, and hence I am led to 
the oandnsion that their taste is such as not 
to require with their food that condiment, 
whidi is ererywhere dse considered indis- 
poisable. Their soiips^ yegetables, and even 
roast meaty are eaten and {nrpared without 
salt. 

I have further observed, that the Berezovians 
are not particularly distinguished for their deli- 
cacy of smelL They not only disregard, in 
their houses, the suffocating, and almost dead- 



OF SIBERIA. 193 

ening fumes of charcoal ; but I have seen them 
eat horribly putrid meat, not from hunger or 
necessity, but merely because they liked it 
better. 



VOL. II. o 



194 REYELATIOI^S 



CHAPTER X. 

Walk on a firoctj daj — ^Mode of pfeaenring meat — Im- 
ivofidenee of tiie Ostiaks — Diatresang case of a 
starving hmSlf — Cocknwidies — Message from the 
KicTj^ies Khan — Going to commnnum — Easter re- 
flections and Tisits — Cause of hiindness among the 
Ostiaks — Meteorologic phenomena — Appearance of 
a crow — Soow-birds — The 3ni of May. 

In Mardi, though the weather was frosty, we 
had some beautifiil days. The sunbeams 
encirdiiig the bhie yault of the skjr m its huge 
bow, and brilliantly r^ected from the crystal- 
ized sur£u:e of the snow, presented to the eye a 
Girde radiating with myriads of brilliants 
profusdy spiead over a white sheet, extending 
hr beycmd the reach of the eye. The air was 



OF SIBERIA. 193 

quite still and intensely cold ; but I ventured 
out for a walk. And delightful it was to 
inhale with free lungs the pure air of this desert. 
What a solemn, majestic stillness was around : 
I was all alone amid this solitude. My 
thoughts fled upward, they soared through 
infinite space ; there was nothing to stop them 
in their flight. I felt that thought alone was 
mistress of this immense wilderness, and on its 
unfolded wings, and shooting through im- 
measurable space, it roamed on the one hand to 
Behring^s Straits, and on the other took rest on 
the rugged summits of the Uralian mountains. 
Nothing could stay its progress through all 
these desolate regions. All nature seemed in 
accord with the spirit of solitude, and, as 
though in reverence of him, preserved a pro- 
found silence. Not a breath of wind stirred ; not 
a single bough moved ; no living being rustled 
through the thickets of the immense forests; 
no bird disturbed, with its wings, the serenity of 
the clear air. There was something solemn — a 
charm indescribable — in this total and profound 
stillness. Gladly would I have spent whole 
days in the midst of it ; continue my solitary 

o 2 



196 EEYEIATIONS 

walk and never return to my exfle home. 
Home ! how feebly does it represent that sacred 
place ! how void of aU its endearing associa- 
tions ! 

While my thoughts were thus busy, the 
frost attacked my Umbs and compelled me to 
think of my physical wants. I felt that 
neither my European clothes nor my boots, 
were sufficient to protect me any longer from 
the piercing cold of Berezov. One must needs 
be a native of this inclement wilderness, reared 
and brought up amidst its snows — must, in 
&ct, become an Ostiak or a bear, or at least 
adopt their peculiar habits and manners, to be 
able to face the rigours of its climate. 

Not wishing to be frozen to death, I bent my 
steps homeward, though not without regret, as 
I scarcely could expect to find such another 
opportunity for a solitary walk at a distance 
from town. The depth of snow is usually so 
great, that a pedestrian cannot diverge even one 
step from the highway without danger, and 
thus one is obliged to follow the only beaten 
track existing, which runs from Berezov to 
Tobolsk. There you encounter people of the 



OF SIBERIA. 197 

• 

strangest aspect; groups of Ostiaks, clad in 
reindeer-skins or Siberian Russians, with axes 
at their girdles, baskets in their hands, and 
fishing-nets on their shoulders, aQ moving about 
with the greatest caution and in the most 
perfect silence. The extraordinary silence and 
complete lethargy which prevail at this season 
is easily accounted, for, as aQ the feathered 
tribes, unable to bear the extreme cold, take 
flight, at the approach of winter, to southern 
climes ; and all the animals that remain, dad so 
as to brave any degree of fi-ost, shun the vicinity 
of man, and seek refuge in the impenetrable 
recesses of the forest, where they cannot easily 
be tracked. Thus the country wears the appear- 
ance of a desert. 

The animals found in the forests adjacent to 
Berezov, are — the elk, the bear, the reindeer, 
foxes, squirrels, martins, ermines and white 
hares. The latter are so little esteemed that 
they are not considered worth chasing. The 
Russians, from prejudice, do not eat them ; and 
hare-skins are so cheap as scarcely to repay the 
transport to Tobolsk, where they are tanned, 
and brought to market. Hence, if a hare be 



198 REVELATIONS 

ever killed, it must be by some imlucky chance 

to the animal, just as some are caught in traps 

placed for other game. 

Neither wolves nor boars come near Berezov, 

and the neighbourhood probably does not furnish 

proper food for them, especially acorns, on which 

the boars principally subsist, no oaks growing 

in this latitude. 

« 

Game constitutes the chief article of food of 
the inhabitants of Siberia, and more especially 
birds. But as all the birds are migratory, flying 
away for the winter, the most is made of the 
season while they are here. Autumn is the 
most favourable period for catching them. It 
is then that the people pack their pantries with 
the spoil, partly through their own eflforts, and 
partly from supplies purchased of the Ostiaks. 

The preservation of this stock of provisions 
all the year round does not cause any trouble. 
The birds are kept fresh in a frozen state. On 
the approach of spring, when the atmosphere 
gets warmer, all the game which has not been 
consumed is stowed in cellars filled with ice, and 
covered with snow. The snow, by keeping off 
all access of air, preserves the game perfectly 



OF SIBERIA. 199 

fresh till the hunting-season comes on. On 
the winter setting in, whcti the frost is strong 
and the roads good, supplies of beef are some- 
times brought from Tobolsk. This meat is 
called Khirgies meaty and is vCTy fat. It is 
sold by puds to the inhabitants, and whai 
buried in snow, in the same manner as the 
game, it is kept in a complete state of preser- 
vation till June and July, without losing a 
particle of its freshness, or even of its colour. 

In imitation of the Russian B^^zovians, the 
Ostiaks keep their stock of game in a congealed 
state, only in smaller quantities, relying for 
their means of subsistence mainly on fishing 
and hunting. They, however, often suffer 
severely from want, in case of their feilure in 
those pursuits, and their winter provisions being 
prematurely exhausted, they run the risk of being 
starved. The Government, as far as it csm, has 
taken steps to obviate this evil, and established 
at Berezov stores of corn and flour, to be sold 
to the natives in their need, at most moderate 
prices. Yet, beneficial as this measure may 
appear, only families which are settled in the 
immediate neighbourhood can conveniently profit 



200 REVELATIONS. 

by it, while by far the largest part of the popu- 
lation fiying at a distance, separated from the 
town by large riyers which, at different seasons 
of the year are quite impassable, are absolutely 
debarred from obtaining this relief. There is 
moreover, anotho* obstacle to its extension — 
namely, that the Ostiaks neither have any ovens 
nor knowledge of the art of baking ; so that if 
they even possessed flour, they know not how 
to use it in any other way than boiling it with 
fish and water. 

In order to convey an idea of the frightful 
situation to which these poor people are fre- 
quently reduced through want of provisions, I 
shall relate one occurrence, which took place 
in the district of Berezov, a few years before 
I arrived there. An account of it is preserved 
in the archives of the town, and I heard it con- 
firmed by eye-witnesses, competent judges of 
the case. 

An Ostiak family, consisting of an aged 
mother and two sons, one married and the 
father of two children, and the other a boy 
of twelve years old, and consequently not able 
to give much assistance to his elder brother, on 



OF SIBERIA. 201 

whom the maintenance of the family had de- 
volved, happened to fall short of provisions at 
the end of the year. The fishing season had 
not yet commenced, the return of the birds was 
unusually retarded by the cold, hunting proved 
unsuccessful, and even fish bones, firom which 
in time of dearth a sort of nutritive jelly is ob- 
tained, began at length to fail. Situated as the 
family then were, hunger deprived them of all 
energy and strength, and nothing remained but 
to await a lingering and cruel death from star- 
vation. In this conjuncture a council was held, 
and it was decided that rather than all should 
perish thus, one should be made a sacrifice for 
the food of the others. Meanwhile the spring 
which was fast approaching, opened them a sure 
prospect of deliverance; in a few days, they 
thought, birds in flocks would return from their 
winter-quarters, and afford them plenty of food, 
and could they hold out but a short time, they 
would be saved. 

Having adopted this awful resolution, which 
appeared to be the only means of saving their 
lives, they next proceeded to draw lots, to see 
who should be the victim. The lots were drawn. 



202 REVELATIONS 

and the ^ital one fell on the eldest married 
son. 

The consternation of the whole family at this 
result may be imagined. The aged mother, 
considering how much her elder son was required 
for the support of all, represented to the family 
that, were they to kill him, they could not even 
when the spring should arrive, improve their 
situation, for who would then be able to procure 
them subsistence ? therefore, they had better all 
perish at once. 

This representation was acknowledged by all 
the members of the family to be perfectly just. 
But who was to replace the appointed victim ? 
A pause of dreadful significance ensued. At 
last, the aged matron interrupted this silence, 
and said : " Kill me ! let me be eaten before 
you kill my son. I am old, and my life is of no 
use. Besides, I am not attached to Ufe, and if I 
have lived long, it is because I could not help 
it." 

The matron's voluntary oflFer was accepted. 
She was killed, instead of her son, and her body 
afforded temporary sustenance to the family. 
A few days afterwards fishing became practi- 



OF SIBERIA. 203 

cable, and the whole family was saved from 
starvation. 

The Ostiak yourtas standing alone and dis- 
persed amidst forests, do not admit of outward 
observation and scrutiny, and the inhabitants are 
unable to investigate the conduct and daily occu- 
pations of their neighbours. The incident I 
have described, would, in all probability, have 
never transpired, if the perpetrators of the hor- 
rible deed had not themselves voluntarily brought 
it to light, without in the least suspecting that 
they would be called to account for the confes- 
sion. The case came to be known in this 
manner. When the spring arrived, and com- 
munication by water was re-established, one 
of the Berezrovians who had, for many years pre- 
viously, had mercantile relations with the ill-fated 
family, happened to visit them, and observing 
the absence of the mother, inquired what had 
become c«f her, " Our mother is no more," 
replied the eldest son. " We have eaten her to 
save ourselves from perishing." 

Astonished beyond measure, the visitor made 
further inquiries, and afterwards communicated 
all the particulars to the authorities. The entire 



204 REVELATIONS 

family were then brought to trial ; and the con- 
sequence was, that the elder son was sentenced 
to the mines for life, and the younger, as the 
least guilty, not being of age, was banished to 
Surgut, a town situated thi-ee hundred versts 
from Berezov. 

It wai^ with great satisfaction that I hailed 
the dose of the long great Lent at the beginning 
of April, bemg heartily weary of its irksome 
restrictions. Though I felt no particular desire 
for animal fo<$d, and still less for amusements, 
yet Lent, as observed in this place, caused me 
a kind of agony not easily described. Its close 
was the signal for some new arrangements m 
our house, turning all our apartments topsy 
turvy, and forcing me out of the ordinary routine, 
so that I was compelled to leave off my every- 
day occupations, which had become habitual to 
me. In all houses at this season, a war of 
destruction is waged against cockroaches, hun- 
dreds and thousands of which are engendered 
during the winter. They are here called tara- 
kinUf and in Lithuania, prusdkiy and are a 
species of insects imknown in Volthynia. Frost 
is called in aid as the only effectual auxiliary 



OF SIBERIA. 205 

against them. The inmates of one half of the 
house are first dislodged, all the windows taken 
out, doors and stoves opened ; and a few days 
afterwards the same operation is performed in 
the other half of the house. The cold air 
is not without its good eflfect^ for, though it 
exposes the family to a fortnight's discomfort, 
at ttie expiration of that period, the number of 
these tiresome insects is much diminished. They 
are not indeed, wholly destroyed, as that is 
beyond all possibility, but they cease to be in 
a state of unceasing perpetuation. No sooner 
are the stoves again heated, than a new progeny 
rushes forth from hidden nooks and crannies, 
proving the indestructibility of the race. 

Amidst the disorder into which the house 
was thrown by this crusade against cockroaches, 
I received a solemn embassy from the Khan of 
the Kirghies. Three Kirghies entered my 
apartments ; one of whom bore a folded sheet 
of paper on the top of his head, and were fol- 
lowed by the Tartar interpreter, who had ac- 
companied the Khan on the occasion of his 
paying me a visit. This functionary announced 
that the three Kirghie envoys were the bearers 



206 REVELATIONS 

of a present to me from the Khan, designed and 
made by himself. Then tmning to the Kirghies, 
he took the folded paper from the head of the 
foremost, and presented it to me. I found it 
to contain another paper, cut in various designs 
and figures, which being executed by the Khan's 
own hand, was certainly a great curiosity. I 
desired the envoys to present my acknowledg- 
ments to the Khan, and they then took their 
departure. The Khan's work had nothing to 
recommend it, beyond his good intention. The 
figures consisted of arabesques, among which 
figures of palm trees predominated. It was 
evident that in exercising his skill in this work, 
he was only beguiling the weary hours of exile. 

The week before Easter at Berezov is not 
distinguished by the observances of any par- 
ticular rites, connected with repentance and 
cleansing from sin, since confession is not strictly 
insisted on. To confess once a year is considered 
even by the most devout persons quite sufficient. 
Even before marriage, confession is dispensed 
with, as not obligatory; and those who do 
confess, do so in a spirit more worldly than 
religious. 



OP SIBERIA. i207 

On the occasion of taking the Communion, 
the toilet of the communicant is commonly the 
richest her means will admit of. Young ladies 
make their appearance with their plaited hair 
falling in rich tresses on their shoulders as if 
it was their wedding. Cosily ear-rings, dresses 
of rich silk, and a variety of trinkets, adorn her 
person. No female communicant approaches 
the altar in a pelisse, or any warm upper 
garment, but is attired in complete ball-costume. 
After the communion, it is usual to have a/efe 
at home. On that day no work whatever is 
done, either by the communicant or her family, 
but, immediately on her return from church— 
nay, on her way home — she invites her friends 
relatives, and acquaintances to tea, and all are 
liberally regaled with the best her house possesses. 
Wealthy femilies do not limit their reception 
to tea, but give a regular evening party, enter- 
taining their guests as on a great festival, with 
the most cheerfiil sports and pastimes. This 
mode of celebrating one of the most important 
rites of Christianity is, I think, as imposing as it 
is exhilirating, yet I could not but conceive that 
it ought to be accompanied by some acts of 



2GS 



nymtmne, miiidi seem so snhjMe to sodi an 



The last ireek of Lent; or the grand week as 
it is caDed in my own ooontiy, is not devoted 
here to the baldi^ of cakes and the prqnration 
of viands for Easter, hot to scn^ng the floc»s 
widi knives ; an operation whidi, however need- 
fid, is excessively disi^reeabie, hot is never 
CMnitted on the aj^proacfa of a great festivaL 
There was a time when I £elt dd^ted at the 
advent of Easter. FrcMn my eaiiiest childhood 
to my matnrer years, this festival had to me ever 
been associated with many dierished remi- 
nisoenoes, whidi up to this moment remain most 
predous. But apart trom. this, Easter, in my 
own country, is wdoomed as the b^;inning of 
spring — a season associated with all that is 
lovdy in the year, as wdl as with what is 
pleasant in our fives. This place, again, what 
a contrast did it present to my native land ! 
There is not a single thing that they have in 
common. Nor is the feast cdebrated in the 
same way. There were no sort of cakes, no 
babies, no hams, no roast pigs with stuffing — 
not even the custom, as in Russia, of the con- 



OF SIBERIA. 209 

secrated egg. The meagre Lenten soups were 
merely succeeded by a shtchy with meat, or by 
pirog of turnip, and a game pasty. And the 
spring — the sweet, blissful spring — where was 
it? Snow was lying like a wide out-spread 
sheet everywhere ; the earth and rivers were ice- 
bound; and ice even incrusted the windows. 
Where was the fresh verdure ? where the joyous 
choirs of birds ? the still more joyous groups of 
children ? and where the cheerful assemblages of 
villagers ? 

Where were you, my own dear children, who, 
coming from school full of glee and joy, used to 
play gaily amid the vernal gifts of DJvine bounty, 
watching every flower that burst forth from its 
bud, and espying every bird that built its nest ? 
Where were you, my young companions — my 
helpmates, who, according to yoiu" powers, have 
shared with your mother her domestic cares and 
troubles, and who at this season made merry 
around me at your little feast, in company with 
your innocent playmates ? All this had vanished 
in the past ; but to think of it, to dwell upon it, 
relieved my heart of a load of anguish. 

In the midst of these reflections, I observed 

VOL. II. p 



210 REVELATIONS 

some visitors coming to call on me. I hastened 
to bolt tlie door, leaving an excuse with my 
hostess, that I was indisposed. This, I confess, 
may seem to have been rude, but at such a 
moment it would have been most painful to me 
to have received congratulations, as if I had 
indeed been happy. The congratulation is ex- 
pressed in these words, Christos voskres, 
" Christ is risen," accompanied by three kisses. 
Omission of the ceremony would have been 
considered a want of good breeding, nay, an 
unpardonable aflfront, no allowance being made 
for the diflference between their own and Euro- 
pean manners. But I shut myself up for three 
days in my sick chamber, and saw no one. 

As April advanced, the sun moved in a large 
orbit, so that we had but very short nights ; yet 
the rays did not communicate any warmth: 
They were cold smiles, like those of the coquette. 
The glare of the snow dazzled the eyes, but ob- 
scured the sight. This overpowering splendour 
of the sun, cx)mbined with the whiteness of the 
snow, is indeed the cause of the numerous 
instances of bUndness among the Ostiaks. The 
large fires we keep, also operates most injuriously 



OF SIBERIA. 211 

on the vision. Inflammation of the eyes is a 
prevailing complaint among the Ostiaks, and 
not unfrequently ends in a complete loss of sight. 

Not a day passed that we had not some 
cmions meteorologic phenomenon. Sometimes 
stupendous fiery pillars appeared above the sun, 
or on each side of it, and sometimes three 
parahelia, or mock suns, might be seen at once. 
These phenomena, however, are common here, 
and from their frequency scarcely attract any 
notice. 

One morning I heard in the street a shout of 
" The crow ! the crow !" This word was taken 
up, and echoed loudly by many other voices. 
At last the door of my apartment was opened, 
and a boy about foiu1;een years old, putting in 
his head, exclaimed, " the crow is come !" and 
then ran away, slamming the door behind him. 

" God bless them ! what has happened ?" I 
mentally exclaimed. "Have they become crazy?" 
I put aside my tapestry-frame, at which I was 
sitting, and went out to inquire what could have 
occasioned all this hubbub. 

Scarcely had I passed the threshold when I 
saw that all eyes were fixed on me, and every- 

p 2 



212 RETEUkTIONS 

one pointed before roe, still crying : ^ See the 
crow, the crow !" 

"And whore is it f* I inquired, " Am I, too, 
to see it? What does it mean f'' 

" The crow brings the sping," was the joyftd 
answer. 

I then comi^rdiended that the crow at Berezov 
was ¥rhat the sky-hrk is in our country. Of 
all the feathered tribe, that bird is the first 
that, at the dose of winter, makes its appearance 
here after its migration, and thus is hailed as the 
harbinger of spring. 

The crow is followed by the snow-birds 
{neigurki^ which are very small m size, with 
white and black-spotted feathers. They arrive 
at the beginning of spring, in immense numbers, 
and may be seen in dens^ flocks. Tlie appear- 
ance of these birds puts aD the young boys on the 
alert, and to aDure them into captivity they 
spread ccnm on the snow, leading into snares 
made of hair, in which the poor birds get their 
feet and bodies entangled — and so are caught. 
By this means, hundreds can be captured in a 
day. Another mode of catching them is by 
ezteufin^ a large net on the ground, with some 



OF SIBERIA. 213 

4 

com strewed underneath, and wheni a great 
number are feeding to draw the net over, by 
means of a cord at the end, so as to fall on 
them, and so take them by the score. 

The snow-birds may be considered the first 
game brought by the returning spring. They 
make one of the nicest and most delicate dishes 
that can come on the table. They are so fat, 
that when put in the oven to bake, the fat must 
be constantly poured off, or there wiU be such a 
quantity, that the birds, when served up, will 
taste as if they had been boiled rather than 
baked. 

Despite all the indications of coming spring, 
the whole surface of the earth continued to be 
covered with snow. Some days, indeed, the 
frost was not so severe, and there were appear- 
ances of a contest between the sun and the snow, 
but victory always remained on the side of the 
winter. The window panes were still thickly 
incrusted with ice, and the ice even encased the 
leaves of a cucumber, which I was trying, to 
rear, and had placed in a box in the window to 
catch the rays of the sun. The ice on the river 
was a little broken, but to no extent, and May 



214 REVELATIONS 

had OMi^derably advanced withouft ci Hifinniiig 
the tdtois of qxii^. 

This ODselded slate of tfaings fieqoendy pre- 
vents Uie transmission of the mails. It is nsoal, 
whm die maQ is stoj^ied at a great distance 
from town, m consequence of the meiting of ice, 
to frmvard the letter bags bj means of sledges 
drawn by dogs. This^however, seidcMn happea^ 
and the custom of usii^ these animals as a 
means of conveyance is wearing away in finrour 
of horses when near home, and of reindeer on 
more distant journeys. Oofy poc»cr people, who 
have DO horses, do sometimes still employ dogs 
in winter. 

The Berezovian dogs are scmieirtiat larger 
than our Pofish watch-dogs. Their hair is loi^ 
and dense, and for the most part bladi; but 
some have urtiite and ydlow ^lots aibout their 
nec^ They are extremely docile^ and tiioagh 



nor even bark to fr^Jiten them, except at night. 
In Ihis respect their instinct is wcmderful, inas- 
much as it m^ht seem Uiat they understood 
how misplaced their excessive v^;ilanoe would 
be in a place fike Berezov, where the security 



OF SIBERIA. 215 

both of person and of property has much stronger 
guarantees in the character of the people, than 
is elsewhere afforded either by personal watch- 
fulness or by the protection of the law. 

The rays of the sun, though not strong 
enough to melt the snow while subject to the 
reaction of frost, added in a great degree to 
the cheerfiikess of our apartments by pouring 

This semblance of spring awakened in us a 
desire for a walk; and as it was the 3rd of 
May* — a day ever memorable to us, and so 
dear and so sacred throughout our native land — 
we determined to celebrate it by breaking the 
bounds of our prison, and breathing the pure 
air. We consequently strolled out, but soon 
found reason to regret our boldness. The ground 
was so excessively slippery, that it was impossible 
to walk on it, and Josephine, was afraid of 
falling at every step. I assisted her for a time 

* The 3rd of May is the anniversary of the celebrated 
Polish constitution of 1791, for which Kosciusko fought, 
and for the destruction of which Russia, Prussia, and 
Austria combined, and then dismembered the ancient 
kingdom of Poland. 



216 REVELATIONS 

as well as I could^ but my own footing was very 
precarious, and in the end I proved but a 
treacherous suppcNrt ; for one of my feet slipping, 
we both fell in the snow together. This con- 
vinced us that it would be unsafe to prolong our 
ramble, and happaung to be near the residence 
of the director of police, we embraced the oppor- 
tunity to make a call and get a little rest. 

On entering the house, we found his young 
wife just ^[igaged in dispatching a servant with 
a present to us. It is customary with the 
Berezovian merchants, on thdr return from 
the Irbit fair, to bring some trifling articles 
of European manu^EU^ture, as souvenirs to 
their friends at home. This amiable lady re- 
ceived a pr^ent of this description, and being 
desirous that we should share it, had appro- 
priated a portion to us, consisting of a frozen 
apple and a frozen lemoD. Our calling saved 
her the necessity of transmittiDg these rare 
dainties, and we were invited to eat them on the 
spot. 

The frozen apple was cut in small thin slices, 
spread over with sugar, and together with other 
preserves and sweetmeats, was, as a great 



OF SIBERIA. 217 

novelty and curiosity, distributed amongst the 
persons present. The lemon was served in the 
same manner, and distributed among the com- 
pany at tea. 

On our return home, we foimd a similar 
present sent us by the same merchant who had 
made the gift to the director's lady. Following 
the fashion of Berezov, I also cut up the apple 
in small slices, and spreading them over with 
sugar, invited the whole family of my landlord 
to partake of them, repeating with pride : 
" This grows in our country. ^^ • 

It is strange what shapes vanity will assume, 
and into what extravagancies it leads us. Here 
was I perfectly charmed at the admiration 
which these poor simple people expressed at the 
flavour of the apple, as if it were a homage 
rendered to myself, and I had contributed to 
its taste and smell. What wonder then that 
people boast with so much pride, as we see 
them daily, of the great deeds of their ancestors, 
or of the high dignities they have possessed, or 
of some celebrated relatives to whom they are 
allied in the remotest degree ! The apple on 
which I expatiated had not, perhaps, even come 



218 REVELATIONS 

from my native oomitnr, yei I hailed it as a 
token of its supcrion^. 

On die same day, llie son of n^ hndloid 
hougfat home a wild goose, which he had 
killed, proving that the shootii^-seasoa had 
commenoed, which was a great satis&ctioD to 
QsaL 



OP SIBERIA. 219 



CHAPTER XL 

Beginning of a thaw — ^Wild fowl — Arrival of the^ birds 
— Shooting excursion — Native sport — Breaking up of 
the ice — ^Violent gale — ^The waves of the Soswa. 

Spring at last approached in all its imposing 
splendour, such as can hardly be witnessed 
elsewhere. The snow, yielding to the glowing 
rays of the sun, graduaUy disappeared, and vast 
volumes of water poured with deafening fury 
and in innumerable torrents into the capadous 
channel of the Soswa, which, held fettered 
during the long winter in icy bonds, now b^an 
to throw off the frost, leaving ice only in the 
mid-stream. The waters rose to a gr^t height, 
and waged unceasing war with the masses of 



220 REVELATIONS 

ice, but they still rose up like an impregnable 
rampart, in the midst of the flood, forming a 
spectacle that could not be contemplated with- 
out wonder and awe. 

Despite this menacing aspect of the river, 
man did not hesitate to assert his dominion 
over its rapid currents and eddies. Heedless 
of danger, hunting parties, composed equafly of 
young and old, hastened to enjoy the field 
sports, from which winter had so long debarred 
them, and with rifles slimg over their shoulders, 
or nets and snares in their hands, crossed in 
their boats the swollen stream, drawing them 
over the ice in the mid-channel by main 
«r»gth, and U»ndd,« them .gain in .he deer 
water. Then they sought the most favourable 
spot for the pursuit of game, which at this 
season consists of swans, wild geese, and wfld 
ducks. 

At those points on tlie banks of the river, 
where the swans congregate in great numbers, 
a booth is erected to conceal the himter. After 
a little time, the swans become used to the 
hut, and cease to be afraid of it. It is occupied 
by a hunter, who, to draw them near the booth, 



OF SIBERIA. 221 

lays out decoys on the water, formed of swan- 
skins, stuffed with hay; and when the birds 
thus allured to the spot alight in* the midst of 
them, the sportsman fires upon them from his 
retreat, and destroys a great number. 

The flesh of swans is hard, and by no means 
savoury. Having plenty of superior game, the 
Russian population never eat it, but shoot the 
swans for their skins, which are much in 
demand. The Berezovians convert them into 
blankets, and they are very warm, soft, and 
agreeable. The only other bed-covering used 
here is fur. The swan-skins are usually dressed 
by Ostiaks, who have a peculiar mode of pre- 
paring them, which consists chiefly in suckmg 
out the fat from the fleshy protuberances, and 
then tanning the skin. 

The flesh of wild geese is also little esteemed, 
and is commonly very lean. Of all birds, the 
most prized are wild ducks, which form the 
principal food of the Siberians. They are met 
with on the opposite bank of the Soswa, where 
the country is level, and for a great part of the 
spring under water, while forests of willows, 
rising from innumerable little islets, afford the 



222 REVELATIONS 

birds a fkvourite resort. The citizeDS of Berezov, 
oonversant with their ways and habits, select as 
the best place for sport, the narrow neck of one 
of the islands, leaving an open sheet of water 
on either side, where poles are stuck* in the 
ground, about fifteen yards high, terminating 
at the top with prongs, which support wheels or 
puUeys, as a means for winding up nets. With 
the aid of this smaU machinery, a large net- 
work, made of threads, is extended between the 
poles, and across the passage, which it shuts up 
like a gate. 

The net being ammged, one of the sports- 
men gathers into his hands all the cords by 
means of which it is held in the air, and wind- 
ing them ^t round a stick, remains concealed 
behind the trunk of a tree till a flock of birds 
approaches. Just as the grey hour of twilight 
— ^which at this season is the only night at 
Berezov — is drawing near, swans, geese, and 
ducks appear in clouds in the air, which re- 
soimds with the flapping of their wings. Indeed 
their numbers surpass anything that can be 
imagined, and must be seen to be believed. 
Each species of bird has its own particular 



OF SIBERIA. 223 

note, and it struck me as a chaunt marvellously 
solemn — a hymn raised by so many myriads 
of creatures, in accents which the Creator him- 
self had taught them. What are our organs 
with their grand diapasons, in comparison with 
an anthem so sublime, chorussed by the voice of ' 
nature ? 

With their notes thus mingled, they enter 
the passages between the islands, and approach 
the nets of the sportsman, who, as soon as he 
sees a suflScient number within range, draws his 
net together, and encloses a host of captives. 
But as May advances, night entirely disappears, 
and it is then very difficult to pursue this sport, 
as the ducks see the net, and will not enter the 
passage. 

The number of the feathered tribe that come 
to spend the summer in the environs of Berezov 
is prodigious, and beyond all power of des- 
cription. Beii^ called by our landlord to the 
river side to witness the first flight of bifds, 
I felt quite stupified, so great was mij amaze- 
ment at the extraordinary scene that presented 
itself to my sight. Far as the eye could reach 
appeared countless chains of ducks, geese, swans, 



224 REVELATIONS 

and cranes, traversing the sky without any inter- 
ruption, like so many streams, all in the same 
northward direction, insomuch that not for a 
moment was there a clear space in the air ; and 
the immense expanse of water below was com- 
pletely covered with them, as thickly as the 
stars stud the firmament on a dear night. I 
adored in silent reverence, the afl-provident 
wisdom which extended such a large share of 
its bounty to so desolate a place as Berezov. 

At moments like these the soul is disinclined 
to solitude, and we ardently long to communicate 
our impressions to others. I therefore hastened 
home to relate to my companions all I had 
seen on the river. On hearing my account. 
Dr. Wakulinski immediately took a fowling-piece 
and sallied forth, and Josephine and myself 
accompanied him to witness the sport. 

On beholding such a quantity of game in 
every direction, we flattered ourselves that every 
one of the Doctor's shots must secure a rich 
booty ; and that we should return loaded with 
game. But it was not long before we were 
convinced of our error, and found that success 
was not so easy as it at first appeared. Every 



OF SIBERIA. 225 

time the Doctor approached, the birds, without 
betraying the least alarm, gravely withdrew 
beyond gunshot, and there remained in security, 
and no sooner had he discharged his piece, than 
they returned to their former quarters. Thus 
the booty, in proportion as it was rich and 
attrietctive, eluded his grasp just as he stretched 
his hand to seize it. Our sport, therefore, ended 
as it begun, and we returned home, tired, and 
covered with mud ; having on our way to wade 
through numerous pools and rills of water, 
which rendered the walk anything but pleasant. 
Our friend, Madame X— - — , who went out 
with nets, had better luck, and caught thirty- 
seven ducks. 

The Berezovians have various methods of 
procuring supplies of game, but they are very 
indifferent marksmen. None of them can kill 
a bird in flight, or an animal in running, nor 
can they conceive how this can be done. They 
think it impossible to take aim without having 
some fixed point to rest the gun on. When 
they cannot find the trunk, or branch of a 
tree for this purpose, and have not the assist- 
ance of a pitchfork, with which their arms are 

VOL. II. Q ; 



226 REVELATIONS 

usually accompanied, to serve as a stand, they 
rest the gun on their knee. 

The Ostiaks are reputed to be far better 
marksmen than the Russians. They shoot 
admirably with the bow, which is still in iiise 
with them, and manage their fire-arms with 
some skill. And this is not to be wondered at. 
Necessity is a far better teacher than art. An 
Ostiak's subsistence depends on his own efforts, 
and even that of the Russian population is for 
the most part obtained from him, in exchange 
for oth^ commodities. The former, conse- 
quently, becomes superior in personal skill, 
while the latter excels in those qualities required 
in commercial transactions. The bows used by 
the Ostiaks are of enormous size; and no 
small amount of strength is required to bend 
them properly. 

The 1 3th of May was one of the great days 
of the year in our little community. The mass 
of ice on the Soswa, which had previously been 
immovable, and despite the increased volume of 
currents beneath, and the deluge of waters 
above, blocked up the river with its frozen 
masses, at last, after so long braving the shocks 



.OF SIBERIA. 227 

of the hostfle elements, gave way, and began to 
move with all its stupendous bulk northward, 
carrying everything before it. 

Gradually, before our eyes, the different locali- 
ties began to change with the moving ice ; the 
road over the river to Tobolsk planted on both 
sides with green cedar branches, the various 
paths trodden across the ice by human steps, the 
holes cut for fishing, and those for the use of 
cattle, and which were fisnced around with 
branches of fir and larch, looking like so many 
beautiful green bowers on a whit^ plain — all 
these objects, on which our eyes had been accus- 
tomed to dwell with delight during the winter, 
now broke up, and with slow, silent, and solemn 
motion, set out on their distant pilgrimage. 

This migration to distant regions, of things 
so familiar to us, and which we had no hope of 
ever seeing again, had something in it peculiarly 
mournful ; and the objects themselves, as though 
responding to our feelings, seemed, by their 
^ lingering movements, to depart with regret, still 
murmuring to us their eternal farewell. Thus it 
fares always in this world. Everything is tran- 
sient, and all in turn pass away. 

Q 2 



228 BEVELATIONS 

The whole pack of the ice, with its paths, and 
pits, and branches, suddenly halted lower down 
the river, at a distance of about a verst from 
Berezov, where a sharp angle impeded the cur- 
rent, and here it seemed to bid us a reluctant 
adieu. Prompted by I know not what motive, 
I walked to the spot, and felt delighted to behold 
once more each well-remembered object. Not 
until some hours had elapsed, did the huge pile 
take another start, and pass away for ever. The 
dose of the day saw the river free, and its blue 
waves floating tranquilly and proudly alone. 

The moment was a solemn and impressive 
one ; for I knew that there was now no road to 
Berezov, either by land or water, and communi- 
cation with other communities being for the 
time impracticable, a lull seemed to fall on 
my own emotions. My feelings became 
dormant and torpid. It seemed as though 
I had already passed the threshold of eternity, 
and was cut off from my kind. 

But this isolation was not of long continuance. 
After the lapse of another day, the mail 
unexpectedly arrived; having been stopped 



OF SIBERU. 229 

only a short distance from the town, and come 
on as soon as the river was dear of ice. How 
much consolation did that mail bring me, 
after such great anxiety and apprehension! 
So many letters from -so many persons, and 
this all at once. My heart beat violently ; my 
tears flowed ; my spirit, prostrated by feebleness, 
again gathered strength, from reliance on God. 
I felt as if regenerated; and my soul was 
again alive to impressions from the outward 
world. 

It was now spring ; but how different from 
the spring of our own country. There was. no 
genial heat, no verdure, no flowers sprouting 
from the soil as in our fields and meadows. 
What is called spring here, is a deluge of 
water inundating the country, the looming of 
boats on that vast expanse, and the -catching 
and shootmg of birds, pursued with more 
activity than ever at this season. Every night 
secures fresh booty, and every one is stocked 
with all kinds of birds. Geese, swans, and 
ducks, lie heaped, like com in a barn, up to 
the roof, awaiting the thrifty housewife's hands 



230 REVELATIONS 

and art, to preserve them for use during, the 
gummen . 

There was now no possibility of stirring out 
of doors, it was so wet and cold ; and yet we 
could not but long to. inhale the fresh air of 
spring. We, therefore, agreed to take a boat 
and, like the rest of the inhabitants, proceed on 
a duck-catching excursion. A sharp day seemed 
to guarantee us against rain, and confirmed our 
determinatiini. 

Our party consisted of Dr. Wakulinski, 

Josephine, Madame X and myself; and 

besides ourselves, there were several of the 
doctor's dependants, whom he brought to assist. 
Our landlord lent us his nets. Providing our- 
selves with everything necessary for the intended 
sport, and taking some provisions for our supper, 
we set out at an early hour for a place situated 
about fifteen versts from Berezov, and con- 
sidered to be most favourable for the purpose. 
Unluckily, before we could reach the spot, and 
indeed when we were scarcely midway, we were 
overtaken by a violent storm. Our boat was 
fearfiilly rocked by the furious waves, which 



OF SIBERIA. 231 

seemed as if they would ingulf her, and beating 
against the sides, covered us with their spray. 
It required the utmost skiH of the steersman to 
place her bows so as to break the waves and 
prevent her from capsising. In this dilemma, 
we came to the resolution not to proceed any 
farther, but to disembark on the nearest spot 
that we could reach with safety, and wait till 
the storm was over. 

But even this was not accomplished without 
difficulty, the gale blowing furiously. We were 
obliged, to our great peril, to recross the river 
where the waves ran highest, and where we had 
to struggle against both them and the current ; 
but at last we succeeded in running into a bay 
which, protected by a forest of willows, afforded 
comparatively smooth water. Here we disem- 
barked with all our things, and lit a fire. 

The tea-kettle, which we had taken care not 
to forget, was now placed on the glowing 
embers, and preparations made for tea. Mean- 
while, Madame X and the Doctor went off 

with their ffuns, promising to bring us some 
game for oTsuppL, so L we m^h, have . 
sufficient stock of provisions when we reached 



232 REVELATIONS 

the field of sport, for which we proposed to start 
when the storm should abate. 

Our tea was at last ready, but the party who 
went shooting returned, to our great disappoint- 
ment, without a single sparrow, after having 
expended all their ammunition, and pleaded a 
thousand reasons for their ill-luck, which we 
readily accepfed. We kept up our spirits as 
well as we could, and drank our tea pretty 
cheerfully, in the hope that it would dear up : 
but we awaited this result in vain. Our 
repast was over, and the hurricane still con- 
tinued. 

At length the night came on, and we could 
no longer think of pursuing our voyage ; we 
were indeed obliged to remain for the night on 
the spot where we were ; and here, to make the 
most of the occasion, we resolved to spread our 
nets for the ducks. Those who professed to be 
expert in the sport looked for a place where 
they could be most advantageously extended ; 
and when they returned from their reconnois- 
sance we collected all our baggage, and entering 
our bark, shoved oflf from the shore. 

The water was smooth and calm, and we 






OF SIBERIA. 233 

fastened our boat to a willow, and set about 
spreading the nets. 

We found the work by no means so easy as 
we had fancied. Even in that sheltered place 
the wind was too strong, blowing down the 
poles to which we tried to fasten our net, and 
causing us no small trouble. By perseverance, 
however, we succeeded in overcoming the diffi- 
culty, though it did not secure us success. 
There was indeed no want of ducks, as we saw 
numberless flocks of them ; but the night being 
as clear as the day, and the wind waving our 
net to aiid fro, made the cords too visible, and 
instead of catching, it frightened the ducks, and 
they flew away. 

Having thus completely failed, and being 
benumbed with cold, we let the net flutter with 
the wind as it would, and sat down to warm 
oiu^elves at the fire. Meanwhile, we saw the 
sky on the eastern horizon assume a crimson 
tinge, betokening the approaching sunrise ; but 
the storm was still unabated, and the wind blew 
and roared in a tremendous way, shaking the 
net as though it would tear it to shreds. 

At length we saw the sun rising over the 



234 REVELATIONS 

horizon. We had heen ardently longing for 
his advent, in the hope that, as frequently 
happens, it would allay the tempest; but our 
expectations were fallacious. The sun shone 
brightly, but the wind blew as furiously as ever, 
sweeping over the tops of the trees with a voice 
of thunder. We now b^an therefore to ponder 
seriously on our situation, and consider what 
was to be done. 

The spot where we had bivouacked was on the 
opposite shore to that on which Berezov stood, 
and, owing to the lowness of the ground, was 
entirely uninhabited Had we gone fifty, or 
even a hundred versts, we should not have 
found a single human dwelling. The storm 
might last many days, and while it did last, it 
would have been madness to attempt io re-cross 
the river in so frail a bark ; the more so, as our 
steersman was far from being an expert one. 
We had, however, no provisions, and all the 
gunpowder, which would have enabled us to 
jn'ocure supplies, was spent. What was most 
prudent to do in this conjuncture, we could 
not decide. 

Patience and reliance on God were our watch- 



OF SIBERIA. 235 

word. Seeing no possible means of extricating 
ourselves from the difficulty, some of our com- 
pany sat down to warm themselves at the fire^ 
others mechanically dropped on the ground close 
to the net, where they watched with wistful 
looks the flocks of ducks as they kept rising 
and flying by ; and I myself, not knowing how 
to wile away my time, wandered about on the 
shores of the bay ; but, at length, having gone 
a considerable distance, I felt a desire to proceed 
to the Soswa, thinking how grand a spectacle the 
great river would present, when its billows were 
lashed by the storm. Prompted by that impulse, 
I proceeded about a verst farther, and at last 
caught a glimpse, through the opening between 
the intervening willows, of its broad sheet of 
waters. I approached nearer the banks; and 
what was my surprise to find that, though the 
wind was blowing a hurricane, bending the tops 
of the trees to the earth, the whole surface of 
the Soswa was but slightly rippled, while on 
the previous day, when the wind was less 
violent, its waves ran exceedingly high. 

I scarcely could credit the evidence of my 
own eyes, and asked myself whether I was not 



236 REVELATIONS 

mistaken, and was not looking on some sheltered 
bay instead of the great river. But surveying 
the locality more narrowly, I found there was 
no error, but that the sheet of water before me 
was really the Sosw^. Glancing once more at 
the placid stream, and more firmly convinced 
that I was under no delusion, I hastened to 
communicate the agreeable inteUigence to my 
companions. They received it with joy, and 
we lost no time in collecting, our baggage, and 
preparing to return home. Nor were we wholly 
without spoil; for though night had been un- 
propitious, four ducks, blinded by the light of 
the sim, had fallen into our nets, and saved 
us from the humiliation of utter failure. 

The real cause of the becalmed state of the 
river was, that the wind, which on the previous 
day blew from the north, and thus acted in 
opposition to the current of the river, causing 
the waves to rise to a considerable height, now 
came from the south, which, falling in with the 
current, had no effect on the water.* 

* This is one of the many passages in the book by 
which a hit is made at the Government. Where authors 
are not allowed to express their thoughts freely and 



OF SIBERIA. 237 

With joy we found ourselves once more on 
the river Soswa, and as if distrusting the evi- 
dence of our own senses, or apprehensive that 
treachery might lurk beneath, we all pulled at 
the oars, in order to get across the river, and 
reach some point on the opposite hank, from 
whence we could return home, if necessity arose, 
on foot. But our fears were unfounded ; and 
without further danger we arrived before the 
town, and landed on the bairak (pier), just 
opposite our own house. 

There is great truth in the assertion, that it 
is only through anxieties, troubles, and priva- 
tions, that we can discover the real value of our 
daily enjoyments ; for in an even tenor of life, 
their value would never be observed, and they 
would glide away unprized. But let us be 
bereft of them, though for ever so short a time, 
and we then learn how much they contribute to 
our comfort. On this occasion I returned 

without reserve, recourse is had to analogies and figura- 
tive language. *' ^Esop's Fables," composed by their 
ingenious author under a reign of terror, might be ad- 
duced in illustration of the fact. 



238 REVELATIONS 

home to my deanly, comfortable, snug room, 
with more delight than I can express. 

The whole family were already up, and busily 
engaged at their samovar. We followed their 
exam^e; and after a refreshing breakfest. closed 
our window-shutters, and sought in our com- 
fortable warm beds a little repose. 



OF SIBERIA. 239 



CHAPTER XII. 

• 

Ungenial spring — The annual supplies of provisions- 
Visit to one of the vessels — Visit from a Frenchman 
— Characteristics of the Siberians^-The Frenchman's 
adventures — Sudden heat — ^River scenery —Prome- 
nade — ^A tempest-— Conservatories of plants — Koz- 
low's departure for the Oby Gulf 

A YEAR had now elapsed since my arrival at 
Berezov. I asked myself if this interval had 
wrought any change in my condition or in my 
spirit? and my heart answered — none. One 
year of anguish had been struck off my life^ and 
this was all I had gained. 

The spring here is cold and melancholy, and 
has no pretension to the name ; it is a mis- 
nomer. The term was associated in my mind 



240 REVELATIONS 

with ideas of genial heat, of life, of beauty, and 
of rapturous delight ; but it has none of these 
attributes under this dime ? May brought no 
appearance of grass, no budding of trees ; the 
water was still frozen, and contintial fires were 
kept in doors. It is true that the buds of the 
trees looked considerably swollen, and birds 
flitted through the air, but these, after all, are 
but the signs, the first harbingers of spring, and 
but a poor instalment of the loveliness and 
luxuriant verdure which it spreads over the rest 
of the world. 

Vessels now began to arrive from Tobolsk 
and other places, on their way to the fisheries in 
the Oby Gulf, and the town became a scene of 
unusual activity. These barges were freighted 
with a variety of provisions for the inhabitants ; 
and the river in consequence had the appearance 
of a . large market-place. At this season it is 
customary at Berezov to procure a stock of 
provisions for the whole year, and the river-side 
is thronged with purchasers of flour, eggs, 
candles, soap, tar, earthenware, iron-nails, and 
other household implements. Numberless boats 
are seen plying from the town to the vessels. 



■hs. 



OF SIBERIA. 241 

^d returning to the shore laden or empty. 
Passengers and crews exchange visits with the 
inhabitants ; as > they are all old acquaintances, 
and like the migratory flocks • of birds, move 
periodically backwards and forwards to the 
Arctic Ocean. 

Apart from this external movement, an in- 
ternal one is also in progress. The wealthier 
part of the Berezovians, who are the owners, 
of the vessels, are fitting them out tp take part 
in the fishing expedition to the North. Men 
are busy in loading their ¥essels; womm in 
baking biscuits and providing the necessary 
victuals, taking care at the same time to keep 
back a sufiicient stock for the subsistence of the 
family. Some persons are welcoming their 
arriving fiiends; while others are mournfully 
taking leave of those who are sailing away. 
Wives accompany their husbands — children 
their fathers — ^to the river, whence they are 
to start on the long and perilous expedition, 
and with tears and tender embraces bid each 
other farewell. Every hour the report of a gun 
is heard — a signal that some new vessel has 

VOL. II. R 



242 RKTEIATIONS 

anivedy or tiuit some other has weighed anchor, 
and departed. 

Am<»^ the Tarions arrivak in May, was the 
vessd (ji a mevchant of Tobolsk, Krahin, whidi, 
in the previous year, had brought us to Berezo^. 
We had a visit froxn ho* steward, who called on 
US as his (dd acquaintances, and requested us 
to hcmour him with a visit on board. We 
jassentod, and immediately aftor dinner, our 
landlord placed his boat at our dii^osal, and 
aoocHnpanted by him, we went to the vess^ 
wfaidi, on account of her greater siae^ laf 
andbored in the middle of Hie river. We met 
with a most pdite reception, and were treated 
witii tea and sweetmeats. 

I fdt delighted to find myself once more 
in the vessel whidi had, tor two weeks, afforded 
me a shelter, and in which every rope was 
perfectly known to me. I beheld the identical 
berth in which I had slept, ihe same table, 
the same shelves, and the inscriptions of my 
hand, which were still preserved undefaced 
on the sides of the ship. How is it that our 
retrospect of the past, however painful and 
di§tressing, affords us so much pleasure ? This 



OF SIBERIA. 243 

question awakens l^ueh trains of thought, 
that, far from answering it, I dare not even 
breathe one word on so pregnant a theme. 

On returning home I had a visit, certainly 
as strange as it was unexpected. It was from 
a Frenchman — a Frenchman at Berezov! was 
not that a strange phenomenon ? And such he 
really was ; for the number of the curious, who 
assembled to see him, not only filled my 
reception-room to suffocation, but even my 
bed-room, though it were only to catch a 
glimpse, through the chink of the door, of 
this extraordinary visitor. 

A rumour of the Froich campaign of 1812, 
had found its way indistinctly even to this remote 
region, and the particulars were 'overlaid with 
fables, poetry, and all sorts of exaggerations. It 
may, therefore, be imagined what a sensation 
the appearance of a real Frenchman must have 
created among the residents. 

The Frenchman was as polite and as full 
of vivacity as persons of his nation usually 
are, yet being clad in a coarse and unshapely 
sailor's jacket, with large boots made of thick 
leather, and reaching up to the girdle — such 

R 2 



244 BEYELATIONS 

as are worn by all who take part in Arctic 
fishmes — he did, I must confess, cut a most 
comical figure. With all this was mingled 
the mercurial humour of his nation, and a 
sense of personal dignity, which rend^ed 
the impression more strikiDg, and his appear- 
ance more burlesque. 

To account for the visit of this individual, 
it will be necessary to relate the whole of his 
history, which, indeed, is somewhat extraordi- 
nary. 

I must premise, that biographies of persons 
in Siberia are by no means so monotonous, 
trivial, and prosaic as those of European life. 
In this country every exile — ^and nearly all are 
exiles — ^be he from the category of great or of 
petty criminals, is, with scarcely any exception, 
either a hero, or, at all events, a character ; and 
consequently, his life is interwoven with inci- 
dents as diversified by their variety as their 
interest, and revealing the inmost secrets of the 
human heart ; forming, in this respect, a striking 
contrast to the usual common-place occurrences 
of conventional life. 

Only a Walter Scott is wanted in Siberia, 



OF SIBERIA. 245 

or some one with a magic pen like his, and 
literature would be enriched with works supe- 
rior in colour and character, to those now 
in general circulation, and which/ from the 
peculiar composition of the society which they 
pourtray, cannot be otherwise than inane and 
trivial. 

The Frenchman's name was Le Brun, and 
his age about thirty-two. He spoke the 
language of the higher French society; his 
features were expressive, his figure slim and 
elegant, but his garments, as I ' have before 
remarked, were worse than neglected — even worse 
than coarse ; for, they were covered with mud, 
and soaked through with tar. 

Le Brun's father had been an officer in 
Napoleon's grand army, in 1812. Taken 
prisoner during the cai^paign, he contrived to 
save his son, then a little boy, from injury; 
and he sh^ed his captivity. They were both 
sent prisoners to Siberia, where the father, to 
gain his subsistence, learnt boot-making; but, 
unfortunately for the son, soon died. 

Young Le Brun having spent his early life 
in Siberia, was more reconciled than his father 



246 RKVEIATIOKS 

to tlie mode of exwtmcp in that ooontry ; and, 
witaog no possihDity of beii^ ever liberated, 
married a Siberian giri aa attainii^ die age of 
manhood, and gave iq> all thoughts of retoming 
to IVanoe. 

But after he had been married many years, 
one of the Russian nobles — Count Tolstoy, I 
bdieve — arrived in that part of Siberia on a 
Kovemment mission. Le Bran profiting by this 

County and solicited his interest to fiee him, if 
possible, from his singular position. 

The Count naturally fdt a strong interest in 
a fin-eigner tiius situated, suffering for guilt 
not his own, and took a memorandum of his 
request. On his return to St Petersburg he 
made known the case to the French ambassador, 
who, in the name of his court, demanded Le 
Bran's liberation. The Government complied 
with the request. Le Bran received a passport 
with permission to return to his country, and 
the Russian Count sent him some money to 
defray the expenses of his journey. 

Up to this point everything had happened as 
Le Bran desired; but as he bad a wife. and 



OF SIBERIA. 247 

children, he was now at a loss as to what course 
to pursue. In the end, combining his love of 
country with the affection he bore his family, he 
resolved first to proceed to France alone, and 
when he should have found a settled {dace 
there, to come back to Siberia for his wife and 
children. 

He set out on his distant journey, via Peters- 
burg, more from choice than ' necessity. Here 
he presented himself to his protector, Count 
Tolstoy, and was recommended by him, instead 
of continuing his journey to France^ to Temain 
in the Russian capital as a teacher of French. 
Le Brun followed this advice, and obtained 
through the Count's recommendation a place 
in a Princess's family as Frendi master to her 
children. 

Released from Siberia, and deHvered ftom his 
8emi-bart)arous condition, Le Brun found him- 
self, on a suddai, surrounded by all the comforts 
and even luxuries of dvilized life« . But not ten 
months elapsed when the sedentary occupation 
of teacher grew irksome, or, rather lost its 
charm of novelty ; and the Frenchman becoming 
restless, began again to yearn for his country, 



248 REVELATIONS 

althoughi in fact, he - scarcely knew anything of 
it, beyond what had been related to him by his 
£ither. He determined, bowever, at all hazards, 
no longer to^dday visiting France. 

The Russian Count, his patron, did all in his 
power . to dissuade him from this enterprise ; 
but perceiving that he had an ardent desire to 
accomplish it, felt for the poor fellow, and 
assisted him in his views. A short time 
afterwards, Le Bnm — ^the expatriated wanderer 
— ^trod the. soil of his native land. 

What was his astonishment to find the country 
he so loved in imagination, and after which he 
had so long been sighing, very different from the 
France of his traditions, as described in the glow- 
ing pictures of his father. No relations came 
forward to welcome him, and he found no 
friend on whom he could rely. In a word, in 
France, the cradle of his childhood, Le Brun 
found himself a greater stranger than in Siberia. 
In the latter country he at least had a wife and 
children; and the reminiscences of his youth, 
nor could he forget that it had given his father 
agrave. 

Nevertheless, . some persons to whom he 



OF SIBERIA. 249 

appUed on his arrival in France, though he was 
a stranger to them, touched by the singularity 
of his position, and the misfortunes he had en- 
countered, procured him a situation with a 
moderate stipend on which he could subsist; 
but no sooner was he thus settled, than he began 
to pine for his wife and children, from whom 
he received no news whatever, a circumstance 
which greatly afflicted him, and preyed daily 
more and more on his spirits. Perhaps, too, 
the new mode of life he was obliged to adopt, 
so different from that which he had led in 
Siberia, where personal liberty is not limited at 
every step by artificial constraints, became dis- 
agreeable, but he bore it patiently for some 
time. Four years had elapsed from his arrival 
in France, when, actuated by affection for his 
family, he determined to return to Siberia ; and 
bring them away to his own country. Accord*- 
ingly he sold all that he possessed, and with the 
addition of a sum collected for him by sub- 
scription, set out for this cold and inhospitable 
region. 

He performed his journey with as little ex- 
pense as possible ; going part of the way oti 



HBO REVELATIONS 

iootf and at lengih reached 'nnime&, a district 
town ci the Govemment of Tobolsk. 

Only those who have made long joumies, 
can understand in what degree impati^ice in- 
creases the nearer we approach the point of our 
destination. Just as this feeling completely 
abscnbed Le Brun, an opportunity was offered 
ci proceeding direct to Ishim, also a town in 
the Government of Tobolsk, where his fiither- 
in-law was domiciled, and with wiiom, when he 
d^MUied for France, he had left his wife and 
duldren. Unfortunately his money was nearly 
exhausted, but rdying on his &ther-in-law^s 
kind feelings, and his wife's affection, he he- 
sitated not to enter into an agreement with the 
coachman ; paying him all the money he had, 
and promising the rest on his arrival at Ishim, 
at the s&me time giving bis passport as a pledge 
of his integrity. Tliey were not long before 
they arrived at Ishim. Le Bnm was entering 
the bouse, to him so well-known, when he was 
met on the threshold by a man whom he had 
never seen before. 

" Where is my father-in-law ?" asked Le 
Bnm. 



OF SIBERIA. 251 

*' He is dead," was the reply, " and his house 
has been sold to me/' 

" Where then is my wife?" 

" She has married another, and gone with 
her children to Irkutzk," 

All his fond and cherished hopes were thus 
at an end. He would not follow his faithless 
wife, who was at a distance of sik thousand 
versts; but another difficulty presented itself. 
How was he to settle for his fare with the 
coachman ? He was ready to siurender to him 
all his luggage, but the coachman was not 
satisfied with this proposal, and would not return 
his passport."*^ In this dilenuna, quite at a loss 
what to do, he was advised to engage himself 
as a boatman in a merchant vessel for the 
summer, by which means he procured an advance 
of about seventy rubles, enabling him to redeem 
his passport. 

Accustomed not to lose his good spirits in 
adversity, Le Brun consoled himself under these 
vexations with the hope that, though a fishing 

* Loss of passport, in Siberia* is tantamount to loss 
of freedom. Persons without a passport are liable to be 
treated as ccmvicts, and sent to the mines. 



252 REVELATIONS 

expedition to the Oby Giilf was not likely to be 
very pleasant, it might not be altogether unat- 
tractive, and would at least afford him the 
advantage of visiting regions little known, and 
scenery totally different from that of the rest of 
the world. 

As long as objects are contemplated at a 
distance, imagination is wont to represent them 
only under a poetical aspect ; while reality, from 
its nature prosaic and stem, follows close be- 
hind, dragging its heavy leaden steps in our 
track, SQ that the nearer we draw to the en- 
chanted land of our vision, the more rugged and 
unpleasant does it seem, defacing, disfiguring, 
and spoiling the whole of the captivating land- 
scape. Such a disenchantment had just fallen 
on our Frenchman. The cold was piercing, 
while his clothing was but indifferent ; and bad 
food, hard labour, stings of mosquitoes and 
coarse company, combined to dissolve the ima- 
ginary charms with which his fancy had 
clothed the Arctic regions. What he now 
most longed for, was, that his ill-advised voyage 
should be speedily brought to an end, and what 
he seemed to prize highest was the thick heavy 



OF SIBERIA. 233 

fiir wrapped round his body, in odd contrast to 
the slender delicate frame of the wearer. In 
this unenviable condition and pitiable state of 
mind, Monsieur Le Brun presented himself to 
me on his passage through Berezov. 

I must leave my poor Frenchman, to speak 
of the weather, which here suddenly changed 
from cold to intense heat. On the 7th we 
were perishing with cold, and fires blazed in 
the stoves. On the 8th the heat was excessive. 
We cast off our winter clothing, but the lightest 
summer dress was not cool enough. A 
basin of water, containing a lump of ice, was 
placed on the table to refresh our languid 
frames, quite dvercome by the heat. All the 
doors and windows were thrown open, and 
the people were enraptured at the return of 
summer. 

The river swarmed with boats of aQ sizes; 
and flags of various colours adorning their 
masts, fluttered in the light air. Here and 
^there on the broad waters the white sails of 
vessels might be seen, expanded by the breeze, 
and little elegant boats were towed behind. 
The sails, bathed in simshine, beamed with 



254 REVELATIONS 

dazzling whiteness, appearing to skim the water 
wkh outspread wings, like graceful swans. Hie 
blue waves, streaming with sunbeams, twinkled 
with myriads of movable lights, which shone 
for an instant, and then vanished in the 
deep. 

How wonderful is Nature on every spot in 
the world; how great and enchanting, when 
casting her maternal smile of love on man ! 
It is impossible for the soul not to overflow 
with rapture and thankfulness at the sight of 
her bounty. 

I felt my room too narrow in so hot an 
atmosphere, and could only breathe freely under 
the dear vault of heaven. Out, therefore, we 
went, but it was not long before we found 
that the heat of the sun was insupportable. 

Luckily the house of our friend, Mrs. S , 

the justice's wife, happened to be close by. 
There we took shelter, and were able to rest 
ourselves. Everything in the house indicated 
the return of summer. The doors were all 
ajar, the windows open, and the lady of the 
house was hghtly and elegantly attired, as if 
in celebration of this awaking of Nature. Re^ 



OF SIBERIA. 255 

freshments of sweetmeats were brought in, 
and iced water to drink; and with a little 
pleasant conversation mingled with complaints of 
the heat, we wiled away the time, waiting for 
some abatement of the sultriness, which, how- 
ever, seemed only to increase. 

We remained at the house full two hours, 
the amiable hostess detaining us with a pro- 
inise that she would accompany us home. 
We were just on the point of setting off, when, 
boking through the open window, I observed a 
small but peculiarly dark cloud in the sky. 
Scarcely had I time to direct attention to it, 
when a violent gust of wind suddenly rushing 
into the apartments, hurled everything on the 
floor. Aeeing that a tremendous tempest was 
coming on, we ran to close the windows, but 
were almost too late. One pair of window- 
sashes, wrenched by the whirlwind from our 
hostess's hands, fell in frs^ments on the ground. 
Josephine and myself, however, were more 
successful ; for by our joint efforts we contrived 
to secure the other windows. Almost simul- 
taneously with the whirlwind, came down tor- 
rents of rain, amidst thunder and lightning. 

We were obliged to remain at our hostess's 



256 REVELATIONS 

till the tempest blew over ; and the streams of 
water that were running down to the river 
rendered the streets less difficult to cross* 
Several hours thus elapsed, and we were unable 
to reach home till sunset. After the shower, 
the air grew cool, but the thunder was still 
heard growling at a distance. The paths, 
saturated with moisture, were soon passable. 
The air and the earth parched by drought, 
absorbed the rain so quickly, that in a short 
time scarcely any traces of it remained visible. 
The sun, as if after a bath, emerged from 
beneath the clouds more brightly ; and all was 
again calm and joyful, as if nothing had oc- 
curred to disturb the repose of nature. 

We were returning home ; and, again, what 
a wonderful sight! Green grass covered the 
meadows, as if it had grown in the twinkling 
of an eye. The hollyhock was in full bloom ; 
the buds of the larch-trees were beginning to 
burst forth, decking those graceful trees with 
most delicate verdure, and filling the air with 
a delicious fragrance. In a word, the whole 
environs of the town presented a totally diffe- 
rent appearance from that which it wore in the 
morning, as if by an enchantment. 



OP SIBERIA. 257 

Arrived at home, I immediately betook myself 
to gardening ; and began by transpknting my 
cucumber plants from the wooden box in the 
window, which I had carefuUy reared during 
the winter. 

It was from Colonel Krzyzanowski that the 
inhabitants of this town first learnt to construct 
conservatories and glass-houses for rearing and 
preserving vegetables and plants. During his 
banishment here, he had the been tenant of 
the lodgings now occupied by us ; and I found 
in the garden a small wooden conservatory 
constructed by him, and three glass windows 
belonging to it. 

About the middle of June, our landlord 
set out at eleven o^dock at night — ^for in the 
summer there is no difference between night 
and day — on the usual fishing excursion to the 
Oby Gulf. On such occasions, it is customary 
that the family and acquaintances of the voyager 
should accompany him to the place of embarka- 
tion. The more he is respected or connected, 
the greater is the number of his attendants. 
This custom is observed towards all travellers, 
whether by land or by sea. In winter, they are 

VOL. II. s 



258 RBVELATIONS 

accompanied by a number of sledges, and in 
the summer by boats. Those who are nearly 
related go with them on board the vessels ; 
friends and acquaintances usually take leave on 
the shore. 

There is such a dearth of incidents here, 
that the commonest event of every-day life is 
invested with importance, and an^ change, 
however trivial, becomes a solemn act. Birth- 
days, nameVdays of every member of the 
family to the most distant relatives, days of 
confession, anniversaries c^ defunct persons, 
arrivals and departures, are all celebrated with 
particular rites and observances. 

Josephine and myself gladly oflfered to ac- 
company the train of old Kozlow, our landlord, 
to the place of embarkation. Several boats 
attended him, and ours was among the num- 
ber. On our arrival in the middle of the 
river, a gun was fired thrice — a signal of fare- 
well to the town. Most of our party then 
returned home ; but we went on with the 
vessel, and proceeded to the Little Ostiak. 
Here we observed a beautifiil island, on which 
we landed. I discovered a raspberry-bush. 



OF SIBERIA. 259 

which was not yet m foliage, and dug it out, 
in order to transplant it to my garden. Dr. 
Wakulinski, v^ho accompanied us, went to 
shoot ducks ; but not being successful, we 
were not encumbered with a load of game, 
and our boat took us the speedier home. 



s 2 



260 BEVELATIONS 



CHAPTER XIIIJ 

An examination at a school — St. Peter's f^e — Osftiak 
dance— Patron Saint's festival — Solemnity of the pro- 
oessiotai — Another sporting excursion — Fishing — 
Bathing. 

The 29th. of June at Berezov is devoted 
annually to two public acts — ^namely, the 
closing of the district school, and the annual 
promenade on the banks of the Waygulka. 

Before breaking up at the school for the 
holidays, there is a public examination of the 
pupils. But this examination, instead of being 
as it ought, a report to the public of the pro- 
gress the pupils have miade, has degenerated 
into a mere formality and empty cere- 
monial. 



OF SIBERIA. 261 

The whole scholastic body of Berezov con- 
sists only of an inspector, and two teachers. 
On the day of examination, one of the principal 
conditions is, that all the functionaries of the 
town, and the principal inhabitants, should as- 
semble at the school, and that the pupils 
should in their presence be examined by the 
teachers. 

But this most distinguished assembly, the 
learned jury, instead of listening to the interro- 
gatories of the teachers, or taking any int^^est 
in the answers of the pupils, either enjoy a 
siesta matinale^ or, in most cases, do not even 
comprehend a smgle syllable of what is taught, 
and often wonder of what earthly use such trash 
as the granunar, or the higher branches of 
arithmetic, can be to their children. The most 
important part of the usual programme is a 
d^jedner A la fourchettej and not until that 
is served up do the company begin to shake 
off the nightmare of somnolency, by which tiie^ 
have been enchained. 

An occurence, which happened at the ex- 
amination, was ludicrous enough, and will suffice 
to show to what extent learning prevails among 



262 REVELATIONS 

the Berezovians. Dr. Wakulinski, who, in his 
capacity as government physician, belonged to 
the body of public functionaries, was, like 
the others, invited to be present at the exa- 
mination. As is the practice on such occasions, 
the teacher requested the assembled guests to 
put, on their part, such interrogatories to the 
pupils as they pleased, on any subject connected 
with their studies. This, though repeated year 
after year, had come to be regarded as a mere 
form, and none of the functionaries would trouble 
themselves with such a task. All shook their 
heads, as was their wont, in sign of refusal, 
¥dth the single exception of Dr. Wakulinski, 
who, to the surprise of every one, availed him- 
self of^he privilege, and asked the pupil a 
question in fractions. 

The honourable assembly, startled from their 
drowsiness by such an innovation, stared at the 
Doctor with angry eyes, giving him by their 
looks to understand how much they condemned 
this intrusion on mysteries inaccessible but to 
the initiated. This was all that passed at school, 
but a storm was brewing which the Doctor was 
to feel afterwards. 



OF SIBERIA. 263 

The examinations usually terminate to the 
satisfaction of all parties. The scholars are 
released for the space of two months from the 
necessity of moping over their lessons, and full 
of joy at their emancipation, hasten to their 
homes ; while the teachers and examiners are 
in the habit of crowning the ceremony with 
a substantial repast, abundantiy provided for 
the occasion. 

Before l)r. Wakulinski had well left the school. 
Fame, the hundred-mouthed, spread through 
Berezov the astounding intelligence that he 
possessed a knowledge of fractions ; and this 
fact was telegraphed from one person to another 
as something perfectiy incredible. 

The Doctor little suspected that he was an 
object of such lively interest to the Berezovians, 
and was surprised when, on returning home, 
he was stopped in the street by a merchant, 
who said he came purposely to ask him whether 
it was true that he knew fractions. The Doctor 
smiled at the questioner, and, of course, an- 
swered in the affirmative. 

" If it be so," added the merchant, " please 
to tell me, Sir, whether it is likewise true that 



264 REVELATIONS 

those who know fractions can determine how 
many pecks are contained in a quarter ?" 

Matters did not, however, end here ; but 
a number of other persons whom he met asked 
him similar simple and silly questions. 

The daily fare on the tables of the inhabitants 
now promised to be more nourishing, and more 
savoury ; the long fast, yirhich had lasted several 
weeks, being over. This fast is observed also 
by the Russian population in Poland, and is 
called by them Piotrowha (St. Peter's Fast). 
On the afternoon of St. Peter's Day, immediately 
after dinner, the inhabitants all resort for a 
promenade to a meadow on the banks of the 
Waygulka, where the government stores of flour 
and of salt are situated, which, with the single 
exception of the government hospital, are de- 
cidedly the best edifices in this place. The 
meadow at this season of the year is usually 
dry, and forms a glade surrounded with forest, 
and with a beautiful sheet of water in front, 
forming altogether a fine pleasure-ground. The 
whole surface of the country being covered 
with wood, any plot of dear^and open meadow, 
if only dry, cannot fail to prove attractive. 



OF SIBERIA. 265 

For my part, as I was never fond of crowded 
assemblies, but preferred a solitary ramble, I 
(lid not join in the general amusement, and 
thought to pass the whole day alone at home ; 
but it happened otherwise. 

A party of Ostiaks, who had arrived in town 
on some business, happened to put up at the 
same house where we Uved, and having had an 
opportunity of getting an abundant supply of 
wodka (brandy), they all got tipsy, and in this 
state began dancing. The landlady, much 
annoyed at the disturbance, attempted to drive 
them out, but this was not easily effected, as 
the whole party obstinately resisted. 

Hearing the uproar in the house, I inquired 
what was the matter. On learning what it was, 
I could not view the conduct of the Ostiaks 
with the same severity as the landlady, and I 
invited them to dance in my apartment, having 
long wished to see a performance of this des- 
cription. They readily accepted my invitation, 
but disconcerted me by asking me to play for 
them. Not ha^^ng any instrument but a guitar, 
I struck the chords of a Cossack air, beating 
time with my foot. They were delighted with 



266 REVEIATIONS 

the tune, and began to caper about with great 
briskness. 

From what I saw, the Ostiak dances are not un- 
like a theatrical representation, or a pantomime. 
They imitated the habitual sports of the diase, 
and the gambols of wild beasts, but the re- 
presentations were not always perfect, and it 
was often not easy to guess, without* the aid of 
an interpreter, what they signified. The dancing 
consisted mainly of sudden leaps, violent turns, 
and other similar movements, which put the 
whole muscular pow^is of the body to a severe 
test. 

Only two of the Ostiak party performed the 
national dance. In coming forward, they skipped 
and leaped as high as they could, rising high 
and bending low, and then whirling round as 
in a waltz. In one instance, they both clenched 
their fists, and v^plently stretched out their arms, 
as if on the point of menacing or attacking 
some foe. They then threw themselves on the 
floor, as if totally exhausted, and again on a 
sudden started up, and all this so rapidly and 
so violently, that it was shocking to witness. 

In this manner they continued dancing 



OF SIBERIA. 267 

without a moment's cessation, and with the 
greatest vigour, for more than half an hour. I 
then insisted that they should stop, as I saw 
that they were quite worn out, but in their ex- 
citement, they would not listen to my repre- 
sentations. Even when one of the dancers fell 
on the ground quite motionless, the other did 
not cease dancing. I was much alarmed, think- 
ing that the excessive exertion of the man had 
caused a fit of fainting, or perhaps apoplexy ; 
and I was the more horrified at seeing that 
while I was so entirely occupied with this ap- 
parently dreadful accident, not one of his com- 
panions appeared to be in the least concerned 
about it. 

While I was thus all anxiety, the man started 
up from the floor, and began his dancing anew 
with more violence, as if his fainting fit had 
served but to renew his strength. Meanwhile, 
the rest of the party sat on the floor, with their 
feet cooped up in the Oriental fashion, and were 
much amused by the feats of the dancers. 

These did not stop imtil they were completely 
knocked up by their exertions. Then the whole 
party rose to depart, and thinking that perhaps 



268 REVELATIONS 

it might give them satisfaction, I presented one 
of the dancers ¥dth a few kopeks. He accepted 
the gift, but immediately opened his hand to 
show the money to his companions ; on which 
they all began to speak together in their own 
language. After a good deal of discussion, 
which was quite unintelligible to me, one of 
the Ostiaks, who spoke a little Russian, asked 
me, " Why I had given the money ?" I replied 
that it was to obtain them something to drink 
my health. 

" If you have wodka.'^ replied the Ostiak, 
.' very well, then give it us, I we are fond of 
it; but to take money from you, would be 
too bad : we cannot accept any money." 

The answer put me to shame ; but I said : 
" I have seen you dance, and you were much 
wearied ; and as I have no brandy in the house, 
I gave you money, that you might have where- 
with to buy it, to refresh yourselves." 

^' It is not for you that we have danced, but 
to please ourselves," replied the Ostiak. " You 
have permitted us to dance in your room ; and 
therefore, we owe you thanks for your kindness. 
We want no money : take it back. When we 



OF SIBERIA. 269 

come again to town, we wiU bring you a present 
of fresh ducks.'* 

I was astonished at this delicacy of feeling, 
which might be called instinctive, among a 
race so barbarous, and comparatively so poor 
In speculating on this incident, I asked myself 
the question, whether what is commonly vaunted 
as civilization — ^namely, proficiency in the arts 
and the development of the higher wants and 
refinements of life — does really contribute to 
awaken the noble impidses of man's nature in 
that degree it is supposed to do; or whether 
it does not rather tend to produce quite the 
contrary results? I could, I think, render a 
ready answer to this vexed question ; but as I 
might probably give oflfence, perhaps the less I 
say of it, the better. 

Among the Ostiaks there exist no divisions 
into castes — no distinct hierarchical orders as 
in our civilized communities, and they have 
not the slightest notion of the artificial classi- 
fication of ranks, so jealously preserved in 
European society, and which exercise such 
immense influence in moulding our manners. 
They pay respect indeedy^ in the fullest sense 



270 REVELATIONS 

of the word, to their chief, if wise and valiaDt ; 
but this homage is voluntary, and founded on 
personal regard, and not a prerogative of his 
position. 

The foflowing occurrence may serve to illus- 
trate the general prevalence of this peculiar 
feeling among the native tribes. A few years 
since, the Governor-General came from Tobolsk, 
to visit in person the fair of Obdorsk; and 
on his arrival there, a multitude of the Ostiak 
population thronged to his house to see a 
functionary so high in rank. This was no 
difficult task, as the Governor, who was known 
to be a most himiane and enlightened man, 
ordered that every one of the natives should 
be allowed free access to him. The influx, 
however, proved to be so great, that the whole 
of the reception rooms were soon crammed 
to excess. Some of the throng grew so weary 
with long standing, that, at length, they threw 
off all restraint, and imceremoniously accom- 
modated themselves with seats on the floor. 
This excited the indignation of the officers 
of the Governor's suite, who construed it into 
a want of respect to his Excellency, and re- 



OF SIBERIA. 271 

buking those who sat down, they made them 
relinquish their seats, explaining that it was 
not right to sit in the Governor's presence. 

"And what matters it to him?" asked the 
Ostiaks with astonishment. "We did not 
take his place. And if his own feet ache, 
he surely has room enough left to seat himself." 

The Governor, who was a more considerate 
and amiable person than his subalterns, being 
informed of what had taken place, directed 
that the Ostiaks should not be disturbed, as 
they could have no knowledge of the etiquette 
of Courts. 

The 1st of July, the day of St. Procopus, 
the patron saint of the town, is a grand festival 
at Berezov. After divine service at church, 
a procession with a cross and flags goes roimd 
the town, accompanied by the entire population. 
Nobody remains at home, except, perhaps, 
some aged invalid to guard the fire, or those 
who are bed-ridden or cripples. Government 
functionaries, merchants, elegantly-dressed ladies, 
old men bent down by age, shrivelled old 
women, vigorous lads and joyous children, in 
a word, the whole of the town, without dis- 



272 REVELATIOKS 

tinction of age, rank, or sex, take part in the 
solemnities of the day. It was imposing and 
deeply affecting to behold sudi a heterogeneous 
mass of people gathered around the symbol 
of salvation, and for that smgle moment meet- 
ing as if one famfly, animated with but one 
&ith and one hope, in the body of the Chinrch. 
Nor did we pause to reflect that ere an hour 
elapsed, the solemn train, now linked together by 
one thought, would be broken up and dispersed 
into units. I could remember only that a great 
and paramount thought, which for the time 
emancipated them from the shackles of every- 
day life, was enshrined in their hearts,, and bore 
testimony to man's dignity and to their own. 

Those who are prevented by domestic occu- 
pations from taking part in the religious 
ceremony, hasten forth on the approach of 
the procession, and stand at the door till it 
has passed. Then they ascend to the roof of 
the house, or some elevated spot, from which 
they can trace its onward progress; and, as 
often as they catch sight of the sacred banner, 
howsoever distant it may be, they make the 
sign of the cross and bow their heads, thus 



OP SIBERIA. 273 

rendering reverence to the emblem of their 
faith. 

Our attention was not wholly taken up by the 
observances of the festival. Dr. Wakulinski had 
for some days been meditating on a new sport, of 
which he knew nothing himself, but which had 
been recommended to him. This was to catch 
ducks after their moulting, when, being extremely 
heavy, and without feathers, they cannot fly. 
In this condition they lie concealed in the reeds 
and high grass; but it is not easy to get at 
them. The ordinary mode is to spread out nets 
on a piece of water near the place where they 
are supposed to be in great numbers. This 
done, people approach from the opposite side, 
and with the aid of dogs, drive the ducks from 
their shelter into the clear water, and then, 
in boats, cut off their retreat, and so force 
them into the net. 

The Doctor wished Josephine and myself 
to join in the sport ; and neither of us being 
particularly engaged, nor having any duty to keep 
us at home, we disposed of our time as a spend- 
thrift would 6f his wealth, and gladly accepted 
the invitation. We set out in full confidence 

VOL. II. T 



274 REVELATIONS 

of success, having, apart from human assistance, 
two boats, a net two hundred yards long, and 
a dog. We took our own seats in the larger 
boat, with four assistant-surgeons of the Doc- 
tor's staff, the dog, and the large net. The 
smaller boat was occupied by an Ostiak and 
two boys, furnished with a fishing-net. The 
fishing-net had been added by our landlord, 
yiho probably had some misgivings about the 
ducks, and recommended this provision to the 
Ostiak, in case of failure, that, at least, we 
might catch a few fish. 

We left home full of joy and with great 
expectations. Dr. Wakulinski, the commander- 
in-chief of our expedition, and his medical 
assistants, knew nothing of the locality, and 
still less of the intricacies of the sport; and 
our Ostiak, not having been consulted, gave 
us no counsel, but followed with his boat at 
a distance, in the taciturn mood which is pecu- 
liar to that race. 

Having formed no plan whatever, nor fixed 
on any particular landing-place, we proceeded 
quite at hap-hazard, little heeding whither we 
went. The banks with which we were familiar 



OF SIBERIA. 275 

disappeared from sight, and we arrived on a 
broad expanse of water, where the river formed 
a number of islets, all nearly alike. From the 
appearance of the place, we concluded that there 
must be a number of ducks here ; but though 
we criiised about the various channels, we could 
not discover any. After some time spent in 
this fruitless search, we ran into a bay, where 
we saw that it would be hazardous to proceed 
farther, and that we must return. This was 
about seven to eight versts from Berezov. 

During our whole passage, not one wild duck, 
much less a flock, fell in our way. Meanwhile, 
the sun reached the meridian, and the heat was 
so overpowering, that we were all fairly scorched 
by it. ' At length, half hoping that ducks might 
be concealed in the high grass and reeds with 
which the banks were covered, and exhausted 
by our long cruise, we determined to stop a 
short time in the bay, and try our chance. 
Accordingly, we spread the net on the bank, 
and then tried to land on the opposite one, but 
the water being too shallow, oiu* boat cotdd not 
be got sufficiently near, and we were obliged to 
wade ashore through the water. ' 

T 2 



276 BEVELATIONS 

As tbe heat was excessive, this half^bath was 
not ahogetber unpleasant ; but we found it 
vety annoying, on rearfiing tbe shore, to be 
assailed by a swarm of mosqoitoes. Still we 
were not disoooraged, bat set to work direc^, 
to drive the docks out of their hiding-jdaoes. 
The grass with which the banks were overgrown 
was high and dense, and oompletdy covered our 
sportsm^d, who depended on the assistance they 
should receive from the dc^ in tracing and 
fri^t^iing Ihe game. But all our anticipations 
of success were now miserably disappointed. Tlie 
grass was so exuberant and so high, that tbe 
sportsmen, themselves unseen, could not even see 
each other. The dog was let loose, but disap- 
peared in the same manner ; and the ducks, if 
any were there, could not be prevailed upon 
to show themselves. 

After many ineffectual attempts to arouse 
the invisible game, the sportsmen at last re- 
turned to the spot where we had disembarked, 
not knowing what else to do. A grand council 
was held. Some were for trying our fortune 
again ; others advised our return home ; and 
when, through politeness, the ladies were asked 



OP SIBERIA. 277 

their opinion, I proposed that we should first 
eat oiir dinner, which, by a lucky forethought 
of mine, we had brought with us, and decide 
what should be done afterwards. 

It is said that women's heads are not made 
for council ; and yet common experience often 
disproves the assertion. In the present case, 
my proposition was no sooner made, than the 
gloomy faces of the company all brightened up. 
One received it with a smile, another with a 
significant lick of his tongue;^ and nobody 
raised the least objection to it. The proposal 

» 

was even hurrahed, and carried by acclama- 
tion. 

Our meal consisted of a pike stewed in the ^ 
Jewish fashion, and a pudding called pirogy 
with cream ; and directly it was spread out, we 
began the work of demolition. It is a common 
saying, that the stomach is akin to the brain, 
which probably is true ; for when we had forti- 
fied the inner man, our thoughts grew rational, 
and the idea flashed through every one's mind 
that it would be imwise to persist in seeking 
ducks where none was to be found. 

Meanwhile, our Ostiak, who had never fol- 



278 RSVSLATIONS 

lowed US into the bay, seemed to have deserted 
our iDompany with his litde boot and the two 
lads. We weare quite in the dark as to what 
had become of him ; bat as he had taken the 
fishing-net with him, conchided that he had 
lagged behind to fish. Now, however, it became 
necessary to seek him, and collecting all our 
things, we got into the boat, and pushed off. 
We had scarcdy cleared the bay, when we 
discerned him on one of the islands, drawing 
his net out of the water. We instantly rowed 
towards the spot, and disembarked ; but the 
Ostiak no sooner saw us land, than without 
speaking a word, he took up the fishing-net, put 
it in his boat, and pulled off to another point. 
We followed our dumb companion, and landed 
at the same spot, dose to the Raw Myiss, 
a celebrated headland in the topography of 
BerezoY, to which I had often extended my 
walks. 

Here dry and sandy banks, and water not 
very deep, hdd out a promise of sport. We 
cast our net, and in a few minutes drew it out 
filled with various kinds of fish. In an instant^ 
the whole of the party, with the exception of 



OF SIBERIA. 279 

the Doctor, Josephine, and myself, pounced on 
the dpoil, and commenced eating the fish aliva 
At the same time, we were attacked by 
swanns of mosquitoes, which regaled them- 
selves on dur hands and faces with equal avidity 
and relish. 

In vain we combatted these foes, and strug- 
gled against their furious assaults. Fresh nests 
came upon us thick and fast. We lit a large 
fire, and tried to sit cooped up together, enve- 
loping our faces in handkerchiefs ; but do what 
we might, the insidious tormentors penetrated 
every barrier, and kept us in misery. Josephine 
and myself could at length endure the infliction 
no longer, and we availed ourselves of an op- 
portunity to steal away from the company, and, 
taking refuge behind a promontory, enjoyed a 
plimge in the water. 

What a luxury is a bath ! This was the 
first we had enjoyed smce our departure from 
Poland ; for the Soswa in the vicinity of the 
town is too exposed to view, and tHe banks too 
thronged with spectators to admit of such a 
thing. 



280 REVELATIONS 

The water, fresh and clear, invigorated our 
frames, enervated fix)m the effect of the burning 
sun. It was delightful ,to behold the even 
sandy bottom ftirough the clear transparent 
stream, and immerse ourselves in *its crystal 
depths. The gradually sloping shore allowed 
us to proceed to any depth we pleased ; and we 
CQuld even advance to such a distance as to be 
beyond the reach of the mosquitoes. These 
terrific insects, however, ventured to pursue us 
further than we expected, and oiu* bodies were 
covered with the scars and blotches inflicted by 
their venomous stings.* 

* In confirmation of our authoress's statement, respect- 
ing the intense heat in this country, we find the following 
passage in Sir J. Richardson's "Arctic Narrative:" 
" The power of the sun this day, in a cloudless sky, was 
80 great, that Mr. Rae and I were glad to take shelter 
in the water, while the crews were engaged on the 
portages. The irritability of the human frame is either 
greater in these northern latitudes, or the sun, notwith- ' 
standing its obliquity, acts more powerfully upon it than 
near the equator ; for I have never felt its direct rays so 
oppressive within the Tropics, as I have experienced 
them to be on some occasions in the high latitudes. 



OF SIBERIA. 281 

While we were enjoying our bath, Dr. 
WakuHnski went shooting, and brought down 
a bird of enormous size, with white plumage, 
called by the natives a cholewa. This species 
of bird is found in great numbers in the vicinity 
of Berezov, and feeds on fish. Wherever it 
perceives a party of fishermen, the cholewa 
follows in flocks, flying round the spot till the 
nets are drawn firom the water, and fearing 
neither man nor firearms. In fact, they have 
nothing to apprehend, as from some prejudice 
they are never killed ; and the fisherman even 
throw them a portion of their spoil. But the 
Doctor, who did not recognize the prevailing 
superstition, regarded them with little reve- 
rence, and levelled his piece at whole flocks. 



The luxury of bathing at such time is not without alloy ; 
for, if you choose the mid-day, you are assailed in the 
water by the tabani, who draw blood in an instant with 
their formidable lancets ; and if you select the morning 
or the evening, then clouds of thirsty moschetoes, hover- 
ing around, fasten on the first part that emerges. 
Leeches also infest the still waters, and are prompt in 
their aggressions.' 



>t 



282 REVELATIONS 

He took a dose aim, as they never fled far ; 
and we saw the feathers fly from their bodies 
as they were struck by the shot ; but generally 
this was the only result, and they continued to 
soar unharmed overhead, as if in mockery of 
the attempt on their lives. At last, the 
Doctor succeeded in hitting one under the 
wing, where it had but few feathers, and 
thus disabled it from flying. The woimded 
bird feU to the ground, and we bore it off in 
triumph. 

The cholewa is the same size as the wild 
goose. The feathers are quite white, and 
so remarkably thick and compact, that the 
small shot is thrown off without injuring 
the bird. The feet are yellow, and the beak 
crooked. 

We brought om* captive home alive; but 
had much trouble with him on our way, as he 
struggled much, and bit us fiercely. However, 
his sufferings were not of long duration, for he 
died the next day. 

There is another species of bird here of 
equally white plumage, and feeding likewise on 



OF SIBERIA. 283 

fish, but much smaller. These birds are sea- 
gulls, called by the natives martishki. Like 
the cholewas, they hover over the fishermen, 
to participate in their booty. 



284 REVELATIONS 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Beginning of autumn — ^Walk on the banks of the Soswa 
—New street — ^Tameness of Berezovian dogs — ^En- 
counter with an Ostiak — Civilised and primitive life 
contrasted. 

At the latter part of July we had already 
had hoar-frost ; and, throughout the month of 
August, the whole country bore a mournful 
autumnal aspect. The river, which but a few 
weeks before was owerflowing its banks, had 
now dwindled to a moderate stream. The grass 
had become yellow, the trees lost their foliage, 
and the leavei? scattered on the ground were 
whirled to and fro by the wind. It grew cold, 
cloudy, and gusty. The whole atmosphere was 
impregnated with humid vapours. The days, 
formerly so clear, became a dim twilight. 



OF SIBERIA. 285 

Such was the uninviting bleak aspect of 
nature out of doors ; and within, things were 
not less mournful. My Josephine was sorrowful 
and pensive. She was startled and discomposed 
at the slightest blast of wind. Her betrothed 
had gone on a journey to Obdorsk, whither he 
had been called by duty ; and to her great agony, 
a violent storm had prevailed for two days, lash- 
ing the waves of the Soswa into fury, and beat- 
ing 'unceasingly against the window-shutters. 
Josephine, overwhelmed with anxiety, moaned, 
and sighed, and sobbed without intermission. 

With such mdancholy objects around> my 
thoughts, whether I would or not, naturally 
assumed the same tint. I had also reasons of 
my own for being sorrowful, 'and was often at a 
loss how to drag through the long and weari- 
some hours of evening. 

Sometimes the weather changed for the 
better; and although it continued chilly, at 
least it did not rain. The streets were more or 
less dry ; and one day, anxious to enjoy the few 
hours of fine weather which nature here so spar- 
ingly granted, I resolved to take a walk; autumn 
at Berezov being most favourable for such recrea- 



286 REVELATIONS 

tion if not wet, as the myriads of mosquitoes 
have then disappeared. Accordingly, towards 
evening I wrapped myself up in a warm pdisse, 
and with a handkerchief tied round my ftce, 
sallied forth, together with Josephine, who had 
.e3cpressed a wish to accompany me. I guessed 
her motive, and we went straight to the bank of 
the Soswa. 

The sun was still over tlie horizon, and was 
just laving his glorious orb in the river when we 
arrived. We came in good time to behold him 
sink into his nocturnal couch, when a lurid 
lustre spread over the sky, and was reflected 
in the depflis of the river, while it illumined 
with uncertain light all the surroimding objects. 
Once more we cast a look far up the river, till 
our sight was lost in the distance — a desert 
without end; but the being sought by the 
anxious eyes of Josephine, was nowhere to be 
seen. My friend heaved a deep sigh, and 
returned home. As for myself, having for some 
days taken no exercise, I continued my walk, 
and sauntered away in another direction. This 
brought me to a new street, projected by the 
government, and, as yet, only partly inhabited. 



OF SIBERIA. 287 

Here and there rose a wooden hut, narrow and 
high, and some for want of proper attention, 
were falling into decay./ Grass grew in the 
road, and felled trees, destined for the construc- 
tion of the houses, lay about in piles, covered 
with toadstools 2ind fungi. 

The universal stiUness, the grey twiHght, and 
the utter loneliness of the spot, were calculated 
to dispose the mind to grave and mournful 
reflections, and I could not repress them. Why 
is it that autumn, however radiant with simshine, 
always produces melancholy, and leaves the 
heart no sense of gladness ? Why is it that 
spring invariably makes us cheerful, be the days 
ever so gloomy, wet, and chilly ? I cannot tell, 
but such is always the effect on myself. 

I still walked on. All was silence and solitude. 
Here and there, from the windows of solitary 
dwellings, single lights began to glimmer like 
lonely stars. Numbers of dogs were silently 
prowling about, or lying on dunghills before 
the houses, and caused me some alarm. The 
Berezovian dogs are large and ugly, and not 
calculated to inspire confidence. My first idea 
was flight ; but the dogs, as if they guessed my 



288 REVELATIONS 

thought, lifted up their -heads so complacently, 
and cast such a calm look upon me, that I felt 
reassured. They seemed as if they would 
say: "You may pass in peace, we have no 
concern with you," and in peace I passed ac- 
cordingly. 

Suddenly I perceived some form looming 
indistinctly in the distance. It moved towards 
me ; and, at length. I saw it was an Ostiak, 
dad in his shaggy malca, his pallid face dingy 
with smoke, and his hair hanging in a cluster 
of plaits down his shoulders. He was hurry- 
ing on his way, as fast as he could, leaping 
lightly from one plank to another, and carried a 
lukoshko of freshly-caught fish in his hand. He 
was accompanied by a boy, pale and smutty as 
himself, but vigorous and light in his frame. 
He glided along at the side of the man, and 
easily kept pace with him, carrying on a lively, 
animated conversation, which, however, was 
quite unintelligible to me. 

I turned aside to avoid meeting them, which, 
perhaps, caused them to regard me with more 
curiosity ; but they said nothing, and went on 
their way. 



OF SIBERIA. 289 



CHAPTER XV. 

The Aurora Borealis. 

Of all the northern lights which I have seen 
at Berezov, the most splendid is the Aurora 
Borealis : it occurs so frequently as to be 
deemed an ordinary phenomenon, and we saw 
it several times during the autumn. It com- 
monly commences with a red glare on one spot 
of the sky, gradually extending more or less 
over the horizon, and encompassing it with its 
radiance. Frequently the light is distinctly seen 
moving in diflTerent directions, sometimes with 
rapidity, sometimes slowly, while its form and 
outline constantly change. But of all the 

VOL. II. u 



290 REVELATIONS 

Auroras I ever saw, none can compare with one 
I witnessed on the 9th of September, 1840, of 
which I will attempt a feeble description. 

At ten o'clock at night, a loud crackling 
noise was heard in the air, as though coniing 
from a distance. The Berezovians were not 
slow in divining what this uproar in the atmo- 
sphere betokened, but almost before they could 
rush to their windows, the whole of the environs 
were enveloped in one blaze of illumination. 
Called by our landlord, we hurried into the 
court-yard to contemplate the phenomenon, and 
were enraptured at what we saw; but to 
describe the spectacle is beyond the power of 
my feeble pen. 

The night was frosty and clear. Every 
object around the earth, the forest and the 
town, were white with snow. Berezov was 
no longer a miserable collection of huts, but 
radiant with lights, reflected by its covering of 
snow, looked like a world of enchantment. 
The different parts of the strange scenery 
seemed to form but a single grand and stately 
structure — a structure with walls of flame, 
surmounted by a cone-like cupola of fire, which 



OP SIBERIA. 291 

towered over our heads. The light was neither 
red nor lurid, but beamed with mild, soft, 
indescribable lustre, unlike anything that can 
be imagined. 

The entire fabric, as it seemed, gradually 
threw off the cupola, and assumed the form of 
a sugar-loaf. It was narrow at its base, but 
the summit or apex of the cone rose to such 
an immense height, as to bewUder the vision. 
It appeared as though it even penetrated the 
vault of heaven, and at that hour of extraor- 
dinary solemnity, permitted mortals, though but 
for a moment, to catch from their earthly vale 
a glimpse of that mysterious region inaccessible 
but to the spirits of the blessed. 

The walls of the wondrous cone were formed 
by light floating clouds of silvery brightness, 
which curling upward like volumes of thin 
smoke, spread their luminous rays in every 
direction. These clouds rose like vapours from 
the base, as if they were engendered in the 
earth,* and rolled rapidly up to the summit, 

* This phenomenon is referred to in the ** Cosmos," 
by Humboldt, who says : " The connection of the polar 
light (Aurora) with the most delicate cirrous clouds 

u 2 



292 REVELATIONS 

where, after covering the apex, they vanished as 
quickly as they had ascended. Their disappear- 
anoe, however, did not in the slightest degree 
interrupt or diminish the splendour of the spec- 
tacle, and fresh volumes of cloud continued to 
roll up in all kinds of fantastic shapes, and with 
the same briSiant effects. 

These floating walls completely blocked out 
the sky, so that nothing could be seen of the 
blue vault of heaven or the countless star& 
The eye could only behold the wonderful evo* 
lutions of masses of light, set in motion by an 
invisible hand, while the ear was enchained by 
majestic strains of harmony, with which the 
whole atmosphere resounded. 

The Aurora was undiminished in brilliancy 
for several hours, but afterwards its motions 
were less rapid, the coruscations of light faded 
gradually away, and at two o'clock all had 

deaenres particular attention, because it shows us the 
electro- magnetic evolution of light as part of a meteoro- 
logical process. The magnetism of the earth is here 
exhilnted in all its influence on the atmosphere, and the 
condensation of vapour.'* The clouds thus influenced 
by terrestrial magnetism, Humboldt calls ''polar bands." 



OF SIBERIA. 293 

vanished. The stars which up to that hour 
had been obscured or only partially visible, 
appeared in all their former glory; the moon 
shone brightly as it sailed over its clear azure 
path, and everything resumed its usual aspect. 

Wishing to ascertain what the Berezovians, 
who have not the slightest knowledge of natural 
philosophy, thought of the Aurora, I made in- 
quiries with this view. The explanation I 
obtained from ^ the wisest among them was 
that the waves of the Arctic Ocean, reflecting 
the light of the moon, threw back a radiance 
on the sky, whence arose all the effects of the 
Aurora. 



294 REVELATIONS 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Lieutenant Pirn's proposed journey across Siberia—^ 
Difficulties c^ its execution as stated by the Russian 
Government — Rebellon of a Samoied chief — His 
capture at Obdorsk — Alarm at Berezov — Belief m 
witchcraft. 

In considering the peculiar complexion of the 
events which are related in the present chapter, 
the Editor thinks he will be excused, if, m order 
to make the contents oi the original text more 
fully understood and appreciated by the reader, he 
prefaces it with a few particulars connected with 
the expedition lately proposed by Lieutenant 
I^m to the north-east coast of Siberia, in 
search of Sir John Franklin, and the views 



OF SIBERIA. 295 

taken by the Russian authorities on the subject. 
What may have been the ulterior motives of the 
Imperial Government for discoimtenancing the 
project, we shall not stop to inquire, but the 
doubts at St. Petersburg, as to the possibility 
of carrying the imdertaking into eflFect, appear 
to be genuine and well-founded. 

" These doubts," as Baron Brunnow expressed 
in his letter to Sir Roderick Murchison, " are 
more than mere conjectures: they amount 
almost to a certainty." But it may be doubted 
whether the subsequent assertion be entitled to 
equal credit, that "under these circumstances 
it was not to be expected that the Imperial 
Government should be induced to put in jeo- 
pardy the life of a British officer, sacrificing his 
safety to a bold experiment, without any rea- 
sonable chance of success," .though, as to the 
obstacles to a journey through Siberia, the 
Baron's testimony is fully borne out by the des- 
cription our author gives of that Arctic wilder- 
ness. These obstacles are not only immense, 
but at certain seasons of the year are absolutely 
insurmountable. Had Lieutenant Pim been 
permitted to make the attempt, he would have 



296 REVELATIONS 

had to cross tracts of pathless snow, and in 
sjning, swollen rivers and inundations, impene- 
trable forests, and ravines swarming with ve- 
nomous reptiles, and rapacious wild beasts, with 
no succour within reach, and hostile tribes of 
fierce and lawless aborigmes to encounter at 
every stage. Add to this, the depredations and 
knavery of the perfidious Russian settlers, 
always alert to prey aa the stranger. Siberia 
is not a country to travel or to live in. To bear 
its discomforts without repining, one must be 
bom there, or inured by long custom to the 
mode of living. 

The Russian authorities at St. Petersburg, 
appear to have been so little prepared for such 
an expedition as that proposed by Lieutenant 
Pim, that they were startled with amazement at 
the enterprise. After expressing the Emperor's 
and their own admiration of his noble devoted- 
ness, they proceed, in their report, to make the 
following observations. 

" But, unfortunately, between the conceptioQ 
of such a project and its realization, physical 
difficulties and insurmountable obstacles exist, 
which Mr. Pim, guided by his generous devotion. 



OF SIBERIA. 297 

does not seem to have sufficiently foreseen, and 
concerning which it is the duty of the Russian 
Government to enUghten him. 

" It is easy to trace in the map of the world, 
across the immense wildernesses of Northern 
Siberia, an itinerary which might lead to the 
end desired to be reached by Lieutenant Pim ; 
but, in executing such a project, it must not 
be forgotten that, in addition to the enormous 
distances to be traversed, vast deserts must 
also be passed over, which, buried under eternal 
snows, oflfer neither means of transport nor 
provisions — unexplored regions, in which tribes 
of savage people are scattered at wide intervals 
— people over whom the Russian power ex- 
ercises only the slightest influence, and whose 
warlike character, barbarous customs, and hatred 
of strangers, are such that the Imperial Govern- 
ment would find it impossible to guarantee the 
personal security of Lieutenant Pim and his 
party. 

*^ To give an idea of the difficulties that such 
a journey presents, it is well to call to mind tl^ 
expedition undertaken some years ago by Admiral 
Wrangel. Prepared during two preceding years 



298 REVELATIONS 

by the local authorities, this expedition, though 
undertaken on a scale of research much less 
extensive than that now contemplated, had to be 
diminished in consequence of a disease among 
the dogs employed to drag the sledges, and yet 
fifty sledges and six hundred dogs were re- 
quired. 

" From this example, it is easy to judge of 
the fate which would attend Mr. Pirn and his 
companions in the endeavour to execute a jom^ey 
almost treble the extent of that accomplished by 
Admiral Wrangel, and in which the British 
officer, having to be accompanied by interpreters, 
must be provided with more considerable means 
of transport. 

" To define more precisely the nature of these 
difficulties, and to establish the basis of an ap- 
proximate estimate, it is sufficient to remember 
that as Admiral Wrangel was compelled to employ 
fifty sledges and six himdred dogs (each sledge 
being supplied with fi-om fifty to seventy salt 
herrings per diem). Lieutenant Pim's expedition 
* would call for fi*om one thousand two hundred 
to one thousand five hundred dogs, and provi- 
sions in proportion. Now, these animals are 



OF SIBERIA. 299 

only kept in sufficient number for the use of 
the inhabitants, and it is doubtful if it would 
be possible to collect such a quantity of dogs, 
even if the complete ruin of the natives, which 
must ensue, were entirely put out of tibe ques- 
tion. 

'^ As to the idea of setting on foot such a 
journey at present, and without having made the 
necessary preparations, the Imperial Government 
does not hesitate to view it as physically (* mat^-^ 
riellemenf) impossible." 

These remarks will prepare the reader for 
the revelations of our author, to which we will 
now retunx 

A great panic was created at Berezov, by the 
reported approach of a Samoied, named Waul, 
a chief of a Samoied watahUy or clan, who two 
or three years before, being pressed by famine, 
had ravaged the lands of the neighbouring 
watahas. Waul was not looked upon as a 
common robber. Popular imagination and 
custom invested him with extraordinary charac- 
teristics, so that he every day gained morel 
ground among the natives, exciting their ad- 
miration by his exploits and prowess. The 



300 REVELATIONS 

Dumber of his partisans was increased by those 
who suffei'ed from want, or sought his protec- 
tection; and others joined him from fear of 
persecution. 

But in proportion as his successes and the 
power of his wataha increased, so did he aug- 
ment the number of his ^lemies. Most of the 
neighbouring dans, whidi he had <^nquered and 
compelled to pay tribute, became his adversaries ; 
but nothing daunted, and confident in the 
courage and attachment of his partisans, he 
turned a deaf ear to their murmurs, and treated 
them with utter contempt 

At length a fatal hour struck for the Samoied 
chieftain. Through the instrumentality of the 
Prince of Obdorsk, Waul was captured, and 
delivered a prisoner to the Russian Government* 
He was tried at the tribunal of the Berezovian 
district, and sentenced to be banished to Surgut, 
a small settlement in the same district, eight 
hundred versts from Berezov. 

Brought to the place of exile, it was not long 
before a man so shrewd, coiuageous, and adroit, 
contrived to escape, and returned to his native 
wilderness on the coast of the Arctic Sea. 



Of SIBERIA. 301 

No sooner did a rumour of his return get 
abroad, that he was released from prison in 
consequence of his innocence, than all his 
former adherents flocked around him once 
more, and he was soon at the head of a large 
force. Many were actuated by feelings, of afiec- 
tion towards him, and confidence in his bravery ; 
and others were deluded by the false colouring 
he gave to the whole transaction. Thus 
he declared that during his long absence he 
had had a personal interview with the White 
Czar, as the Emperor is called by the common 
people in Russia; and though he had been 
admonished at first, that he afterwards rest<H*ed 
him his freedom, and intrusted him at parting 
with many confidential orders. 

This was more than enough to augment the 
number of his adherents. His bold and im- 
posing attitude — his enterprising and adven- 
turous spirit — and, above all, his Shamanic 
character and rank, which made him a deposi- 
tory of all the secrets and mysteries appertaining 
to the priestly order, led the Samoieds to look 
on him as some superior being ; and thus, partly 
from fear of giving him offence, and partly from 



302 REVELATIONS 

the confidence which they were accustomed to 
place in him, several hundred families recognised 
him as their chief. 

As soon as he found himself sufficiently rein- 
forced, he threw off all concealment, and began 
to act openly. His first operation was against 
the Zasiedatel of Obdorsk — an oflicer of police, 
whom he considered his personal enemy, and 
determined to deprive of his office. This official 
was an habitual drunkard, and never appeared 
in public except in a state of intoxication. He 
was disliked both by his subordinates and by . 
the inhabitants, towards whom he was accus- 
tomed to behave with exceeding harshness, and 
frequently with injustice. 

Waul was not aware that, by attacking this 
man, he violated the law. He thought only of 
administering justice according to the law of 
right. 

His first step was to issue an injunction to 
his followers not to pay their fur-tax, until 
the police official was discharged. But by 
this hostile demonstration he unfortunately put 
himself in oppositipn to the government, and 
became exposed to all the consequences of such 



OF SIBERIA. 303 

an act. But his measures of retribution did not 
stop here, and he next denounced the Prince of 
Obdorsk, who had been instrumental in eflfecting 
his first capture. Waul wished to avenge him- 
self on him, and, if possible, to depose him, and 
conceived himself strong enough to dictate any 
conditions to his enemies. At length, weary 
of acting on the defensive, he determined to 
become the aggressor ; and just at the time of 
the fair of^ Obdorsk, he advanced at the head of 
a considerable number of people, and encamped 
within one day's march of the town. 

The news spread a panic as far as Berezov ; 
and the inhabitants, accustomed to think of 
nothing but traffic and the comforts of life, were 
terrified beyond measure. The director of police 
issued an order to the inhabitants to siuroimd 
their houses with every available defence, and 
to have all gates and doors well fastened, and 
an passages blocked up, iti order to repel any 
irruption, should an attempt be made in the 
night. The night-watch was doubled, and a 
strong injunction given to keep a sharp look 
out. In a word, the region so long buried in 



304 REVELATIONS 

lethargy, was on a sudden awakened to life and 
activity. 

This alarm, created by Waul's approadi, and 
the general ejcitement it occasioned, led to an 
incident which nearly terminated in a tragic 
catastrophe. One of the Cossacks, resident at 
the place, observing the panic among the people, 
conceived a mad plan of amusing himself at the 
expense of his family. On his return home, 
at a late hour in the night, he b^an to knock 
violently at the door, demandhig admittance in 
the Samoied language. The accents of the 
enemy were so well feigned, that his voice was 
not recognised ; and a lad of fourteen, his own 
son, armed himself with his father's sword, and 
prepared to rush out directly the door should be 
forced. The Cossack, having played oS his 
joke, proceeded to open the door, when his son 
struck out with the sword, which, however, 
happily for the father, fell not on his head, as 
intended, but on the handle of the door ; thus 
a fatal tragedy was averted. 

While the consternation of the public was 
still at its height, news arrived which changed 



OF SIBERIA. 305 

our mourning into rejoicing. Waul, the terror 
of the country from Berezov to the Arctic 
Ocean, was captured, and brought prisoner to 
Berezov. The formidable chief had been 
seduced by a treacherous stratagem, concerted 
by the Russian officials, into visiting Obdorsk, 
the Prince of which town had concluded an 
amicable arrangement with him, which he in- 
tended to carry out with perfect good faith, 
but was made a dupe, in the hands of the 
officials, for effecting Waul's arrest. This took 
place at the house of his enemy, the Sprawick, 
who, by flattery and pretended submission, in- 
duced him to enter the domicile to partake of a 
glass of whiskey. No sooner did he cross the 
threshold, than the Sprawick exclaimed in a 
loud voice : " This is Waul !" and at this sig- 
nal, a band of Cossacks, who stood near, dis- 
guised as Ostiaks, rushed on the defenceless 
chief to secure him. 

Waul endeavoured to save himself by flight, 
but being closely pursued, at last sank into the 
deep snow, and was discovered, and captured. 
His faithful retinue, who had not accompanied 
him into the town, hearing that they had been 

VOL. II. X 



306 REVELATIONS 

betrayed, extinguished aU the lights, and after- 
wards mixed with the Ostiaks belonging to the 
wataha of the Prince of Obdorsk, in common 
with whom they succeeded, at daybreak, in 
escaping to the forests. Only four, who would 
not forsake the person of their chief, were cap- 
tured on that day. They were bound, like him- 
self, and brought to Berezov under a military 
escort. Among them was Waul's brother, who, 
according to report, is as violent as Waul 
himself. 

A blacksmith was called to forge irons to 
fetter Waul, but on his arrival at the prison, 
he declared that all the irons in the world 
would be useless, as the strongest chains would 
be inadequate to resist the spell of the Shamamc 
incantation. But the roguish son of Vulcan, 
seeing that these words produced a great eflfect, 
added that he possesssed a secret, by availing 
himself of which he would be able to forge 
chains of an anti-magic character, which all 
Waul's witchcraft would fail to break. As may be 
supposed, he was instantly set down for a wise 
and great man, who could save the town by 
his ingenuity. The irons were soon forged, and 



OF SIBERIA. 307 

even his secret was revealed, as a great &vour, 
to two or three chosen spirits, one of whom 
communicated it to me. Here it is : '^ Smelt 
the nail from a horse-shoe with the iron, and it 
will then be proof against all charms/' 



X 2 



308 REYELATIONS 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Arrival of a Chinownik — An ereiimg party — ^Letters 
from home — A maid-servant — Special commiasion — 
Official insubordination — Search for manunoth bones 
— Josephine's marriage — Authoress transferred to 
Saratov — Preparations for the journey — Noble con- 
duct of the Berezovians — Farewell. 

A Chinownik, or Imperial functionary with 
a special commission, arrived at Berezov at the 
end .of January, 1841, to revise the different 
branches of the judicature, and also to be a 
member of a commission appointed to try 
Waul, who, thanks to the blacksmith's secret, 
had been unable to set himself free, and still 
continued in prison. 

I got an invitation from the Greek Proto- 



OF SIBERIA. 309 

pope's wife to an evening party at her house. 
As I was suffering from a severe rheumatic 
complaint, I would gladly have absented myself, 
but the hope that I should meet the Chinownik, 
and possibly hear from him news of my friends 
at Tobolsk, induced me to make an effort. 

In a place so isolated as Berezov, which is 
a prison without walls, the most trivial occur- 
rence presents itself with the dimensions of a 
grand event, and engrosses every one's atten- 
tion. The accidental arrival, therefore, of a 
new-comer, and that fr^m a place where I had 
left friends, sufficed to make me shake off all my 
listlessness, my indolence, and indifference ; and 
I hastened to the Protopope's house. 

I happened not to be one of the first visitors, 
for I found the whole of the Berezovian fashion- 
ables already assembled, and divided, as usual, 
into two camps. One was composed of 
gamblers, and the other of negatives. 

Having made my own way through both 
circles, I entered an adjoining room, to take 
my place among the galaxy of women. Im- 
mediately sweetmeats and various other sorts of 
preserves were presented to me ; Mid as it was 



310 REVELATIONS 

the name-day of the lady of the house, I 
expressed my felicitations to her, and repeated 
them to the reverend Protopope (who, by the 
bye, bore the Polish name of Zaborowski), and 
so, in succession, to all the members of tbeir 
family, such being the custom at Berezov. 
This ceremony being over, was followed by 
another, namely, inquiries respecting the health 
of every person present, as well as that of all 
the lady's relations. On such occasions, it is 
indispensable to be acquainted with the Christian 
names of all the race, as well as their patronymics, 
which must be invariably added at every ques- 
tion. Unfortunately, 1 could not remember so 
extensive a nomenclature, and the good Bere- 
zovian ladies would often suggest to me the 
names of their relatives whose names I hap- 
pened to forget. I owed much to their kind 
aid in such large parties as this, and thus 
assisted, I went pretty well through the whole 
ordeal. 

These formalities over, nothing remained for 
the evening's amusement but cracking cedar- 
tiuts, which Siberian custom is absurdly called 
conversation (rosgaworki) ; when, contrary to 



OF SIBERIA. 311 

the manner of the country, we saw a gentleman 
coming in the ladies' room. This proved to be 
the Chinownik. 

By this unusual proceeding, he attracted the 
attention of all. It was not long before he 
introduced himself to me. His name was 
Kazaczynski, and he was an agreeable young 
man, with European manners and education. 
His easy, graceful air, and cultivated mind, 
made him a welcome acquisition to our society, 
and what was more acceptable, he brought me 
letters from my children. I was indebted for 
this to the kindness of the Governor-General, 
who, not waiting for the departure of the post, 
which arrives here but once a fortnight, had 
availed himself of the opportunity to send them 
by this gentleman. 

Thus the evening party proved more pleasant 
than I had anticipated. I received tidings of 
my cherished children, of my dear Stephen at 
Moscow, and my beloved Julia at Kiov ; and 
their letters were so genuine and so full of 
tenderness, that my heart overflowed. I felt 
happy, and proud of my children. It appeared 
that the whole assembly read in my countenance 



312 REVELATIONS 

that I was a happy mother, and that in my 
maternal affections I found solace sufficient to 
co\mterbalance all the other sufferings which 
I endured. 

AjS if to increase my happiness, the same 
gentleman brought me tidings from my friends 
at Tobolsk ; and my mind was refreshed with 
remembrances of the past. The evening did 
not drag on so drearily as usual, and on retiun- 
ing home, I again and again perused my letters, 
and thanking God for having vouchsafed to me 
such comfort in my children, I committed them 
to His protection and blessing. 

On my arrival home, I presented a few 
dainties which I had brought from the table 
to my waiting-maid ; but I observed that she 
accepted them with indifference. Soon after- 
wards she asked me, with a look of grief, why 
I did not rather tell her the news I had 
received from my children. 1 could not do 
otherwise than satisfy her curiosity, which was 
as guileless as affectionate. 

For several months I had had a Polish servant 
who was sent to me from Tobolsk, but with 
whom I had so much trouble that I was obliged 






OF SIBERIA, 313 

to discharge her. I then hired a Siberian girl, 
who, though not knowing the duties of a lady*s- 
maid, was good-natured, simple, and unsophisti- 
cated. She was, however, free and easy in her 
manners, as if she were an equal ; though she 
could not be said to be without some idea of the 
distinction of classes. This I remarked when 
she was one day combing my hair. As she 
could never arrange it properly, I told her 
she should do it just like her own. But 
this she opposed with tears, and said that she 
would never agree to such a thing, as I should 
then look like a common person and not like 
a lady. I was therefore obliged, whether I 
would or not, to look like a lady, a great 
privilege indeed, but which she made me 
enjoy at the cost of a handful of hair every 
morning. 

She maintained a more respectful demeanour 
towards me, as the senior, but she treated 
Josephine without the slightest ceremony. In 
her merry mood she would pat her cheek, slap 
her shoulder, and say everything that passed 
through her brain. She regularly bid me good- 
raoming and good-night, kissed my hand on 



/ 



314 REVELATIONS 

going out to visit her parents, and when she 
came back, presented their compliments to me. 
Having handed round the tea to visitors, she 
would seat herself in a chair until they had 
finished. I was extremely amused at her 
originality ; and never said . one word to 
check it. 

The winter of this year will, no doubt, be 
long remembered in these parts, on account 
of the number of extraordinary incidents which 
occurred. The consternation into which the 
country was thrown by Waul's irruption, and 
the subsequent capture of that chief, made a 
strong impression on the minds of the inha- 
bitants, and the circmnstance was looked upon 
by them in the light of a regular campaign. 
This being over, a special commission, composed 
of Count Tolstoy, aide-de-camp to the Governor- 
General, and two coimcillors of state, Kazaczynski 
and Sokolow, arrived to inquire into all the pro- 
ceedings. 

The visit of these important personages 
created great alarm among the government 
officials, who, in so distant a place as Berezov, 
being left entirely to themselves, without any 



OF SIBERIA. 315 

control over their actions, lose aU discipline, 
and having very little or nothing to do, are 
generally addicted to drunkenness. This disor- 
ganisation of the body of employes, occasioned 
many comical scenes. One functionary, on the 
arrival of Count Tolstoy, presented himself 
before him in his shirt, but armed with a 
sword; another in his comfortable shuha and 
large fiir slippers. The Count, who is a military 
man, and accustomed to strict discipline, was 
exceedingly shocked at such a neglect of the 
government regulations, and sent a courier ta 
Tobolsk to acquaint the Governor-General with 
the great disorders which had crept in among 
the officials of the province; and the conse- 
quence was that a^'number of them lost their 
places. 

From this town, the Commissioners pro- 
ceeded to Obdorsk, which was the principal 
scene of Waul's exploits, for the purpose of 
taking evidence in reference to his proceedings 
there. Here they were met by another instance 
of insubordination. On their arrival, the no- 
torious Zasiedatel being drunk, refused to 
recognise the Commission, and would not co- 



3 1 6 REVELATIONS 

operate in the inquiry, haughtily declaring that 
he alone was master at Obdorsk, and that he 
acknowledged no superior authority. Count 
Tolstoy was obliged to dispatch another courier 
to Tobolsk for new instructions. The result 
was, that the unworthy employ^y who had 
for a long time been a scourge to the in- 
habitants, was dismissed, and declared inca- 
pable of holding any office under die govern- 
ment. 

The Commission was intrusted with another 
subject of inquiry, which was left principally 
to Kazaczynski. Reports having reached the 
authorities, that some mammoth bones had 
been discovered in the vicinity of Obdorsk, 
Governor Ladyzynski, an eminent lover of 
science, was desirous to have the whole of 
them dug up and secured for some museum 
of natural history. As to the existence of 
the mammoth remains in these parts, there 
seems to be no doubt. The head of that 
wonderful animal {Elephas primigenms) had 
been accidentally discovered in an upper 
stratum of earth; and some parts had been 
broken off and worked into a variety of imple- 






OF SIBERIA, 317 

ments, for which the bones of the animal 
are commonly used. The rest of the gigantic 
skeleton, with its j9esh and skin, was supposed 
to be congealed in a lower stratum. The above- 
named gentleman, during his sojourn at Ob- 
dorsk, did all in his power to discover the spot, 
but could not succeed. The inhabitants would 
give no information, and it was impossible to 
find it unaided, in the deep snow which, at that 
season, covered the whole earth. The reason 
why the inhabitants refused to point out the 
place, as I afterwards learned, was merely the 
fear that they would be forced to dig for the 
remains, which would have giv^n them much 
trouble.* 

The work of the Commission of Inquiry 



* A nearly entire fossil skeleton of the mam- 
moth is preserved in the Museum at St. Petersburg, 
in a small room, alone with an elephant, wiiich is com- 
paratively a dwarf by its side. It was discovered in 
1 799, cm the eastern banks of the Lena, in a mass of 
earth and ice, which had disconnected itself, and lay 
for some years a prey to every depredator, before any 
notice was taken of it. The fossil remains were first 
recognised by a Mr. Adams, an Englishman, who accom- 



318 REVELATIONS 

having been brought to a conclusion. Waul 
was conducted to Tobolsk to be tried by the 
court-martial. I saw him in a waggon, sur- 
rounded by a strong escort of Cossacks. His 
stature was robust, and he was broad-shouldered, 
and had a bold, intrepid look. 

After a long interval of suspense and 
uncertainty, Josephine at last obtcuned per- 
mission to marry Dr. Wakulinski. The happy 
bridegroom got leave to go to Tobolsk to be 
married. They accomplished their journey jusjt 
at the time that the Roman Catholic priest 
was passing through that town, coming from 
Tomsk. They were married on the 15th of 
March, when they returned to Berezov, The 
young couple never expressed a desire for 
separate lodgings, nor wished that I should 
look for another residence for myself; so they 
stayed with me, and we divided our rooms 
between us. 

panied Count Golofkin in his embassy to China, in 
1805, and made a tour in that district, in order to 
prosecute his scientific researches. Singularly enough, 
relics of this animal have also been discovered in the 
British islands. 



OF SIBERIA. 319 

In honour of their wedding, they gave an 
entertainment to their friends at Berezov; but 
want of space in our suite of apartments 
for a numerous assembly caused us much 
trouble. My apartment was the reception- 
room, and to give more space, my bed, 
books, &c., were all turned out for the oc- 
casion. 

At length the necessary preparations were 
made for the reception of guests ; the table was 
loaded with confectionary, sweetmeats, and all 
sorts of dainties, customary here on such 
festivals. But seven o'clock had passed, and 
nobody was visible. We began to fear our 
messenger, who had been sent out with the 
invitations, and was not noted for sobriety, 
had committed some blunder, or that perhaps 
we had, in our ignorance, violated some rule of 
etiquette. But we were soon undeceived. All 
the company arrived, though somewhat later, 
as is the custom here. They ate and drank, 
chatted and played at cards, and at twelve 
o'clock, having enjoyed their supper, the 
ladies took their departure, and the gen- 



320 REVELATIONS. 

Uemen remained till three o'clock playing at 
boston. 

From over-fatigue, I felt so drowsy that, as 
soon as the guests had departed. I closed the 
window-shutters, and threw myself down on 
my couch, beside the table covered with plates, 
knives, remains of creams, jellies, sweetmeats, 
and sundry other relics of the repast, rejoicing 
at the prospect that I should next day return 
to our quiet life and the comforts of my 
domestic habits. 

TTie long winter past, and as June opened, 
there was again a sudden leap to summer. 
One day was piercingly cold, the next oppres- 
sively hot; and thus 1 entered on the third 
year of my residence at Berezov. 

Still there was change in my lot. My 
anxiety had reached the highest pitch, and 
the more as the celebration of the marriage 
of the heir apparent to the crown had flatfered 
me with a hope of liberation, but which now 
seemed illusive. In this gloomy frame of mind 
I had traced some desponding words to my 
family. The letters were ready for dispatch, 



OF SIBERIA. 321 

when, just as I was sorrowfully folding them 
/ up, I received a communication from the 
Horodnitchy. 

It was an invariable custom here, that at the 
return of every ^ post, I received a paper from 
this functionary for my signature, setting forth 
how many letters I had received from him, 
which certificate was forwarded to the Governor. 
Supposing the present document was of the 
same character, I took the pen to sign 
it; but on glancing at its contents, could 
scarcely believe my eyes. The document 
contained my liberation from Berezov, and an 
order to transfer me to the government of 
Saratov. 

I was now to recross the Ural Mountains, 
and be nearer my children by at least five 
thousand versts; but I could scarcely believe 
in such happiness. I instantly ran to Josephine, 
the dear companion of my exile, and learned 
from her that she was comprised in the same 
act of mercy. We now spread out the map 
before us, traced the distances and the positions 
of places, and were endeavouring to sum up 

VOL. II. Y 



322 REVELATIONS 

all the advantages resulting to me fixnn the 
change of abode. 

Before the sun had set, I paid hurried 
visits to all the &milies with wfa<»n I was 
intimate, to inform them of the glad news. 
The good Berezovians most oorcBalfy ooo- 
gratulated me upon it, and in their aiudetj 
for my welfare, gave me advice how to cootinae 
my voyage to Tobolsk with safety and compa- 
rative comfort. Their advice, in the present 
instance, was valuable. Just at this season of 
the year, vessels were sailing only to the Oby 
Gulf, and there were none for Tobolsk ; and 
therefore I could hardly hope to find one so 
large and commodious as that which had 
brought me to Berezov, unless I determined 
to wait three months longer, when the vessels 
would return from the fisheries. There was 
now no alternative but to make the long voyage 
to Tobolsk in a small post-boat, which was 
the more intolerable, as it was changed at 
every station, and the luggage would be obliged 
each time to be unloaded. 

While I was thus perplexed, not knowing 



OF SIBERIA. 323 

what to do, one of the Berezovian merchants 
generously proposed to lend me one of his own 
boats, with four oars. I gladly accepted his 
kind oflfer, and caring little for any minor 
arrangements, I immediately went to the banks 
of the Soswa to see the barge, and accelerate 
my preparations for the voyage. 

The transport which I now experienced was 
so excessive, that it did not allow me to taste 
any food, nor could I sleep the whole night. 
Accustomed as I had been to traverse, in thought 
and deed, immense distances, the thousand versts 
which would still separate me from my children, 
seemed to me but a thin partition. .Berezov 
was divided from Tobolsk by a thousand and 
some hundred versts, but the Berezovians and 
myself were wont to consider it a neighbouring 
town, and resorted to it for the most trifling 
necessaries of life. A journey of but a couple 
of months was needed, and I should find myself 
brought nearly to the threshold of my home, 
nearly within the embraces of my children. 
Oh, how sweet was this reverie after years of 
yearning — yearning with so little hope ! 

Y 2 



324 REVELATIONS 

The good ladies of Berezov, in their friend- 
ship for me, vied with each other in loading 
me with provisions, so that I found my boat 
half filled with delicious cakes and game ; with 
a plentiful addition of sweetmeats, jams, and 
even wine. 

I left Berezov on St. Anthony's Day, 1841. 
At my departure, all my acquaintances assembled 
to accompany me to the place of embarkation. 
There was such a concourse of people, that the 
river-side appeared like a fair. All tried to 
take leave of me, and blessed me on my jomney 
with all the sincerity of their hearts. I was 
deeply affected whilst partmg with this out-of- 
the-world community of simple-minded, sincere 
people, by whom I had been so long befriended 
and consoled, and whose kind services I shall 
ever hold in grateful remembrance. Some 
of their number accompanied me in their boats 
about two versts further, and among them 
were my good friends Dr. Wakulinski and his 
amiable young wife, whose society proved a 
soothing balm amidst my severe trials. At 
the last firing of the gun, I waved my farewell 



OF SIBERIA. 325 

to the inhabitants, who were still lingering on 
the shore, following my bark with their eyes. 
My tears fell in a torrent, as I looked back for 
the last time on the groups I was leaving for 
ever, and who had given me, a stranger among 
them, so many proofs of hospitality. I pressed 
Josephine to my throbbing heart, but could 
not say a word. 



THE END. 



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HISTORY AND BIOGKAPHY. 3 



HEMOmS OF HORACE WALPOLE 

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AUTHOR OP **THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS," ETC. 

2 vols. 8vo, with Portraits, 288. bound. 



Perhaps no name of modern times is productive of so many pleasant 
associations as that of " Horace Walpole/* and certainly no name was ever 
more intimately connected with so many different subjects of importance 
in connexion with Literature, Art, Fashion, and Politics. Tlie position of 
yarious members of his family connecting Horace Walpole with the Cabi- 
net, the Court, and the Legislature — his own intercourse with those cha- 
racters who became remarkable for brilliant social and intellectual quali- 
ties—and his reputation as a Wit, a Scholar, and a Virtuoso, cannot fail to 
render his Memoirs equally amusing and instructive. They nearly com- 
plete the chain of mixed personal, political, and literary history, commenc- 
ing with " Evelyn" and " Pepys," carried forward by " Swift's Journal and 
Correspondence,*' and ending almost in our own day with the histories of 
Mr. Macaulay and Lord Mahon. 



OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. 

" The biography before us is in all respects eminently satisfactory." — Morning 
Chronicle, 

** These Memoirs offer a good subject, well treated, and form, indeed, a neces- 
sary addition to the library of every English gentleman. Besides its historical 
value, which is very considerable, it cannot be estimated too highly as a book 
of mere amusement." — Standard, 

"Two more interesting or entertaining volumes than these 'Memoirs of 
Horace Walpole' may be searched for for a long time before they will be found. 
The writer has woven into his narrative a rich fund of contemporary anecdote 
and illustration. Most of the nobles, wits, and literati of the period are judi- 
ciously introduced." — Morning Post 

" Horace Walpole was the most remarkable man of his time ; and posterity 
will do him the justice, now that his career is fully elaborated, to place him 
in the niche which belongs to him, as one whose influence in the affairs of his 
country has been far beyond the average of other men." — Messenger, 

" This life of Horace Walpole is a very valuable and interesting addition to 
the historical library. We shoidd be glad to see every part of our later history 
illustrated with equal clearness and impartiality." — Weekly Chronicle, 

" Few works of the present day contain more matter fitted for entertainment 
and instruction." — Morning Herald. 

_ 



COLBUKN AND CO/S NKW FUDUCATIOKS. 



BURKE'S PEKUAGE AND BARONETAGE, 

FOR 1852. 

NEW EDITION. REVISED AND CORRECTED THROUGHOUT 
FROM THE PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS OF 

THE NOBILITY, &c. 
With the AKMS ( ITiiHi in nnnibor) accurately enj^ravcd, and incorporated with the Text. 
Now mdy, in 1 vi>l.(i-oiniiri>iii<;:i.s much iiutttT as twenty ordioury voluxnes), 388. booni 

The fullowing U a Li»t of the rrincip.!! Contents of this Standard Work: — 

I. A full ami interesting hUtor)' (»f eaeli ' V. The Spiritual Lords, 
order of the Kni;lish Ni>bihtyf KJiowinf; its VI. FunMgn Noblemen, subjects by birth 

led. 
Peers and Peeresses, 

■tnry of the .S4}reroigh of this country, and with Heirs Apparent and Presumptive, 
deducing tiic descent of the Plant. 'i';enet.x, IX. Courtesy titles of Eldest Sons. 
Tudors,Stuarts, and Gu<'li>hs,thnmch their ' X. Peerages of tho Three Kingdoms in 
various ramifications. To this Hcction is i order of Precedence, 
appended a list of those Peers who inherit ; XF. Baronets in order of Precedence, 
toe distinguished honour of (^uartoriiii; the XIF. Privy Councillors of Engbnd and 
lloraX Arms of Plantag«»n(;t. Ireland. • I 

In. An Authentic table of Prcociience. XHL Daughters of Peers married to | 

IV. A perfiTt lIisTOKY ok All tiik ('ommonors. 
Pkers axp liAuoJiETs, witli the fullest XA'. All tiif Orders of Kxigiit- 
details of their ancestors and descendants, ■ noon, with every Knight and all the Knights 
and particuhirs resjKHiting evcrv collateral llachflors. 

member of each family, and all interniar- ' XV. Mottoes translated, with poetical 
riages, &c. ' illustrations. 

" The most complete, the most convenient, and the cheapest work of the kind ever given 
to the public." — Su7i. 

" The best genealogical and heraldic dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage, and the 
first authority on all questions affecting the aristocracy." — Globe, 

" For the amazing quantity of personal and family history, admirable arrangement of 
detwls, and accuracy of information, this genealogical and heraldic dictionary is without a 
rivaL It is now the standard and acknowledged book of reference nx)on all qaestioDi 
touching pedigree, mid direct or collateral affinity with the titled aristocracy. The Uneige 
of each distinguished house is deduced through all the various ramifications. Ereiy 
colUteral branch, however remotely connected, is introduced ; and the alliances are so 
carefully inserted, as to show, in all instances, the connexion which so intimately exists 
between the titled and untitled aristocracy. We have ah>o much most entertaming 
historical matter, and many very curious and interesting family traditions. Tho work is, 
in fact, a complete cyclopaedia of the whole titled classes of the empire, supplying all the 
information that can possibly be desired on the subject." — Morning Post, 

" The ' Peerage' and tlie * Landed Gentry' of Mr. Burke are two works of public utility— 

constantly referred to by all classes of society, and rarely opened without being found to 

supply the information sought. They are accessions of value to our books of reference, and 

few who write or talk much about English Peers and English Landed Gentry, can well be ; 

looked on as safe authorities without a knowledge of the contents of Mr. Burke*8 careful I 

compilations." — Athenceum. i 
1 



A COMPANION TO THE PEERAGE. 



BURKE'S HISTORY OF THE LANDED GENTRY, 

FOR lo52, 

^ ffitntalogfcal Btcttonars 

OF THE WHOLE OF THE UNTITLED ARISTOCRACY OF 
ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND IRELAND : 

Comprifiing Particulars of 100,000 Indiyiduals connected with them. 

In 2 volumes, royal 8vo, inclading the Supplement, beautifully printed in double 

columns, comprising more matter than 30 ordinary volumes, 

price only 21. 2s., elegantly bound, 

WITH A SEPARATE INDEX, GRATIS, 

CONTAINING REFERENCES TO THE NAMES OP EVERY PERSON MENTIONED. 



The Landed Gentry of England are so closely connected with the stirring records of its 
eventful history, that some acquaintance with them is a matter of necessity with the legis- 
lator, the lawyer, the historical student, the speculator in politics, and the curious in topo- 
graphical and antiquarian lore ; and even the very spirit of ordinary curiosity will prompt 
to a desire to trace the origin and progress of those families whose influence pervades the 
towns and villages of our land. This work furnishes such a mass of authentic information 
in regard to all the principal families in the kingdom as has never 1)efore been attempted to 
be brought together. It relates to the untitled families of rank, as the " Peerage and 
Baronetage " does to the titled, and forms, in fact, a peerage of the untitled aristocracy. 
It embraces the whole of the landed interest, and is indispensable to the library of every 
gentleman. The great cost attending the production of this National Work, the first of its 
kind, induces the publisher to hope that the heads of all families recorded in its pages will 
supply themselves with copies. 



" A work of this kind is of a national value. Its utility is not merely temporarv, but it 
will exist and be acknowledged as long as the families whose names and genealogies are 
recorded in it continue to form an integral portion of the English constitution. As a cor- 
rect record of descent, no iamily should be without it. The untitled aristocracy have in 
this great work as perfect a dictionary of their genealogical history, family connexions, and 
heraldic rights, as the peerage and baronetage. It will be an enduring and trustworthy 
record." — Morning Post 

'' A work in which every gentleman will find a domestic interest, as it contains the 
fullest account of every known family in the United Kingdom. It is a dictionair of all 
names, families, and their origin,— of every man's nei|^bour and friend, if not of his own 
relatives and immediate connexions. It cannot fail to be of the greatest utility to profes- 
sional men in their researches respectmg the members of different families, heirs to pro- 
perty, &c. Indeed, it will become as necessary as a Durectory in every oflSce.** — B^t 
Messenger. 



j 6 COMUUS AM) UO/S Ni:W TUULICATIONS. 



(; Kit MANY; 

ITS COrUTS AM) ri:OPLE, 

liY TIIK Al TllMU nV -MlLDUKl) VliUNON." 
j SiL'DiiiJ uinl CiiiAiMT Kclitloii. *J vuls. Svu, 21 u. bound. 

, This wiu'k riiiii|iriM.>s u ('niii|i!i'ti* jiicturc of tlio various courts and 
' pi'uplt* itl' till- rijiitiiii'iit, a> tlu'v apptMr niiiMst t'l.c wreck of tbe recent 
I rt'VJiliitioiis. 'I'lh' autlmr |iii<S"ssim1, throu'^h ln-r iiillueiitial coiinexionf. 
i |iiM-uli:ir lacilitii's lor a(M|iririn;r cxcliL^lvt' iiit(>riiiatl(»ii on the topics treated 
I of'. Sill* s»i'v\'i'«lt.'.l ill |)"iu-t rutin;; iiitu provincus and localities rarely 
visitc'l hy ttnn'I>t>, ami still ^rlnwinj: v.-itli tlie embers of i-ivil war, andfol* 
■ lowc<l till* arm V of IVii.-sia in (ii-rmany, of Russia in Hungary, and of 
Kailctzky in It:i!y. Hit i):ij;os ivv.u wlili the sayings aiul doings of almost 
all the illiistriou-i eharat'tiTS, niah' and iemale, Avliom the events oftk 
1 last two years have Imui^ht into Kuropean celebrity, combined with 
I graphic views of the insurrcirtionary :>lru;,'gles, .sketches of the various 
I aspects of :!ioriety, and incidents of personal adventure. 

To give an idea of the scope and variety of the contents of the wori[,it 
need only be mentioned that among the countries visited will be foniid 
Prussia, Austria, Hungary, IJavaria, Saxony, Servia, Styria, the Tyrol 
Hanover, Brunswick, Italy, &c. To enumerate all the dlstiu^ished penofr 
ages with whom the writer had intercourse, and of whom anecdotes areifr 
lated, would be impossible ; but they include such names as the Emperon 
of Austria and llussia, the Kings of Prussia, Hanover, Uavaria, and Wa^ 
temberg, the Count de Chambord (Henry V.), the Queens of Bavariiiid 
Prussia, the ex-Empress of Austria, the Grand Duke of Baden, the Azek- 
dukes John, Francis, and Ste|)hen of Austria, Duke "WilUelm of finnh 
wick, the Prince of Prussia, Prince John of Saxony, the Countess Batdry- 
anyi, Madame Kossuth, i^c. Among the statesmen, generals, and leading 
actors in the revolutionary movements, we meet with Badowitz, V(1B 
Gagem, Schwarzenberg, l^ekk, Esterhazy, the Ban Jellacic, Windii^ 
gratz, Radetzky, Welden, Ilaynau, Wrangel, Pillersdorf, Kossuth, BliOi 
Gorgey, Batthyanyi, Pulszky, Klapk:), Bern, Dembinski, Uecker, StruTe,&& 



'^ An important, yet most amusing work, throwing much and xichly-ooloorf 
light on matters with which every one desires to be informed. AU the eot^ 
and people of Germany arc passed in vivid review before us. Tbett 
count of the Austrians, Magyars, and Croats, will be found eapp ninlly inl^ 
resting. In many of its lighter passa<ie8 the work may bear a com] '^ 
with Lady Mary \Vortley Montagu's Letters." — Morning Clironidt. 



BISTOBT AJNB BIOOBAFHT. 



DIARY AND CORRESPONDENCE 

OF 

JOHN EVELYN, F.IIS., 

Author of " Sylva," &c. 

A NEW EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED, WITH 
NUMEROUS ADDITIONAL NOTES. 

UNIFORM WITH THE NEW EDITION OF PEPYS' DIARY. 
In 4 vols., post 8vo, price 10s. 6d. each, with Illustrations. 

N.B. — The First Two Volumes, comprising " The Diary/* are now ready. 



The Diary and Correspondence of John Evelyn has long been regarded as an 
invaluable record of opinions and events, as well as the most interesting expo- 
sitionwe possess of the manners, taste, learning, and religion of this country, 
during the latter half of the seventeenth century. Tlic Diary comprises obser- 
Tations on the politics,^ literature, and science of his age, during liis travels in 
Fnmce and Italy ; his residence in England towards the latter part of the 
i^rotectorate, and his connexion with the Courts of Charles II. and the two 
snlMwquent reigns, interspersed with a vast number of original anecdotes of the 
moBt celebrated persons of that period. To the Diary is subjoined the Cor- 
respondence of Evelyn with many of his distinguished contemporaries; also 
Original Letters from Sir Edward Nicholas, private secretary to King Charles I., 
during some important periods of that reign, with the King's answers; and 
numerous letters from Sir Edward Hyde (Lord Clarendon) to Sir Edward 
Nicholas, and to Sir Richard Br^wn, Ambassador to France, during the exile 
of the British Court. 

A New Edition of this interesting work having been long demanded, the 
greatest pains have been taken to render it as complete as possible, by a careM 
re-examination of the original Manuscript, and by illustrating it with such 
annotations as will make the reader more conversant with the numerous sub- 
jects referred to by the Diarist. 

*'It has been justly observed that as long as Virtue and Science hold their 
abode in this island, the memory of Evelyn will be held in the utmost venera- 
tion. Indeed, no change of fashion, no alteration of taste, no revolution of 
science, have impaired, or can impair, his celebrity. The youth who looks 
forward to an inheritance which he is under no temptation to increase, will do 
well to bear the example of Evelyn in his mind, as containing nothing but what 
is. imitable, and nothing but what is good. All persons, indeed, may find in 
his character something for imitation, but for an English gentleman he is the 
perfect model/' — Quarterly JReview. 



8 COLBURN AND CO/S NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



THE LIFE AND REIGi\ OF CHARLES L 

By I. DISRAELI. 

A NEW EDITION. REVISED BY THE AUTHOR, AND EDITED 
BY HIS SON, THE RT. HON. B. DISRAELI, M.P. 

2 Yols., 8vo, unifurm with the " Curiosities of Literature," 288. bound. 



OriNIONS OF THE PRESS. 

'* By far the most important work on the important age of Cliarles I. that 
modem times have produced." — QuarUrhj Review, 

" Mr. Disraeli lias conceived that the republication of his father's *■ Commen- 
taries on the Life and licign of Charles I.' is peculiarly well timed at the present 
moment ; and he indicates the well-known chapters on the Genius of the Papacy, 
and the critical relations of Protestant sovereigns with Roman Catholic sub- 
jects, as reflecting, mirror-like, '■ the events, thoughts, passions, and perplexities 
of the present agitated epoch.' In particular, he observes, that the stories of 
conversions to the Romish faith, then rife, seem like narratives of the i>resent 
hour, and that the reader is almost tempted to substitute the names of his 
personal acquaintances for those of the courtiers of Charles. No apology was 
needed for reintroducing to the world so instructive and original a work as that 
of Isaac Disraeli." — Times, 

** At the end of 250 years, Rome and England ape engaged in a controversy 
having the same object as that in which they were committed at the commence- 
ment of the seventeenth century ; and no where will the reader find the cir- 
cumstances of that controversy, its aims, the passions which it evoked, the in- 
struments which it employed, and its results, better described than in this ex- 
cellent book." — Standard, 

*' The position attained by the late Mr. Disraeli's admirable and learned com- 
mentaries on the great events of the Revolution, and the times that led to it, 
would at any period liave warranted its republication. To those, however, to 
whom the bearing of its remarks, and the effect of the author's researches are 
known on the religious question of that day, their apt and effective bearing on 
the most vital topic of our present religio-political existence, will give the reap- 
pearance of the work an additional value."— r^nVaftnza. 

^* The history of Charles I. required a Tacitus, and, in our opinion, this work 
ought to have that standard character." — GentlematCa Magazine. 



mSTOBY AND BIOGRAPHY. 9 

LIVES OF THE PRINCESSES OF ENGLAND. 

By MRS EVERETT GREEN, 

EDITOR OF THE " LETTERS OF ROYAL AND ILLUSTRIOUS LADIES." 

4 yoIb., post Svo, with Illustrations, lOs. 6d. each, bound. 

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. 

" A most agreeable book, forming a meet companion for the work of Miss Strickland, to 
which, indeed, it is an indispensable addition. The authoress, already favourably known 
to the learned world by her excellent collection of ' Letters of Royal and Ulustrious Ladies, 
has executed her task with great skill and fidelity. Every page displays careful research 
and accuracy. There is a graceful combination of sound, historical erudition, with an air 
of romance and adventure that is highly pleasing, and renders the work at once an agreeable 
companion of the boudoir, and a valuable addition to the historical library. Mrs. Green 
has entered upon an untrodden path, and gives to her biographies an air of freshness and 
novelty very alluring. The first two volumes (including the Lives of twenty-five Princesses) 
carry us from the daughters of the Conqueror to the family of Edward I. — a highly inte- 
resting period, replete with curious illustrations of the genius and manners of the Middle 
Ages. Such works, from the truthfulness of their spirit, ftirnish a more lively picture of 
the times than even the graphic, though delusive, pencil of Scott and James.'* — Britamiia. 

" The vast utility of the task undertaken by the gifted author of this interesting book 
can only be equalled by the skill, ingenuity, and research displayed in its accomplishment. 
The field Mrs. Green has selected is an untrodden one. Itlrs. Green, on giving to the world 
a work which will enable us to arrive at a correct idea of the private histories and personal 
characters of the royal ladies of England, has done sufficient to entitle her to the respect 
and gratitude of the country. The labour of her task was exceedingly great, involving 
researches, not only into Englisn records and chronicles, but into those of almost every 
civilised country in Europe. The style of Mrs. Green is admirable. She has a fine per- 
ception of character and manners, a penetrating spirit of observation, and singular exactness [ 
of judgment. The memoirs are richly fraught with the spirit of romantic adventure."— 1 
Morning Post. 

"This work is a worthy companion to Miss Strickland's admirable * Queens of 
England.' In one respect the subject-matter of these volumes is more interesting, because 
it is more diversified than that of the * Queens of England.' That celebrated work, although 
its heroines were, for the most part, foreign Princesses, related almost entirely to the his- 
tory of this country. The Princesses of England, on the contrary, are themselves English, 
but their lives are nearly all connected with foreign nations. Their biographies, conse- 
quently, afford us a glimpse of the manners and customs of the chief European 
kingdoms, a circumstance which not only gives to the work the charm of variety, but 
which is likely to render it peculiarly useful to the general reader, as it links together by 
association the contemporaneous history of various nations. The histories are related 
with an earnest simplicity and copious explicitness. The reader is informed without 
being wearied, and alternately enlivened by some spirited description, or touched by 
some pathetic or tender episode. We cordially commend Iklrs. Everett Green's production 
to general attention ; it is (necessarily) as useftil as history, and fully as entertaining as 
romance." — Sun. 



10 COLIUKN AM) COAS NKW rriJUCATIONS. 



MADAMK PULSZKY'S MEMOIRS. 

Comprisinf; Full and Iiiterestiug Details of 

THE LATE EVENTS IN HUNGARY. 

With an Ilirtiurical Intn>dm-tion by FUANCIS PUJ-SZKY, Late Under- 
Si'cn'tary ut' Stnti* ti» Kordiiinnil. Knijicror of Austria and 

K'nif; of Hungary. 

'2 vola^ post ijvo, 21 8. bound. 

OPINIONS OF TIIK TKESS. 

" The nationalit.v of the {h*<»j)1is their mr.r:i:il [>row(>K.<4, aiul present unhappy fate, hiM 
invested Huiigarv with the intcn'M ur u HLSH^nd I^iland. and WeMtvni Europe mnit 
Ih* naturally di>sinms to l<>iini sonicthiii^ of their civil and social life. These volumesan 
the joint production of M. and Madame riils/.ky. AVhile the latter records her impra- 
sions and recollect ions of II lUiKarian life, we have to thank yi. Pulszky foraveryaUe 
aummary of the history of Ilungary, fi-oin the dayti of Ar|Kid to the reigrti of Ferdinnid 
the First, and iherofnriii ino^enieiit -a history wliich alxmnds in interesting incidnti 
and Ufioful lesvtns for the statesman niid the pliilosophic historian. Madauic Pulnkj^ 
narrative of her wanderhi^s and danfrerx is :tjrre<>a1)ly diversilled witli sketches andinec* 
dotes from Ma^ryar life, as well a.^ with ancient legends frnm Huufcnrian history and 
modem jiaiwiiires in the late war of inde]M>ndence. It cannot fail to excite an intereatin 
all classes of rea<lers -in those who open a iMiuk only Air amitseuientp as well as in thoK 
who look for something more enduring:."— EUinburuh llccUtc. 

"Wo need hardly inform our readers that theauthoressof this work in tlio accomplialied 
wife of tlio pMitleman who was ori^rinally accredited to the KnKlish cabinet by the 
prorisioiuil government of Hungary. The private inter»'st attac*hiii^ to the recital of 
events which have become so famous would insure a wide popularity for Madame Pulnky^ 
book. But we should very much un(ler-<-stimate its value if we so limited our pniie. 
The memoirs, indeed, contain sketches of social life which are wortliy of a place by the 
side of Madame de Stael de Luiinay and 31adamo Camiian. But they are also xioh 
in poUtieal and topogra]>hicaI information of tlie tlrst character. Madame PulsikyvM 
in the habit of direct intercourse with the foremost and most distingiiiBhcd of fbe 
Hungarian generals and statesmen, and has given a complete summary of the poUtiod 
events in Hungary, from the arrival of the Hungarian deputation in 1S18, to the luiMWi 
of General Gorgny on the 13th of August, 1$1D. M. Pulszky has also prefixed a Tahiahle 
introduction, which gives the most complete history- of Hungary- tliat has ever issued finom 
the English press."— Globe. 

** With all the charuis of romance, these volumes possess the graver iuterost of Ma- 
tory. Pull of personal anecdotes, historical reminiscences, and legendary associations: 
teeming with interesting adventures, rich in social illustration and topograpUflU 
description, the memoirs ))rc.sent to all classes of readers an attraction quite indepei^ 
dent of the recent important events, of which they give so clear and connected a nun' 
tive"— Morning Post. 

" In this most interesting lK)ok we have ro'ealed in the cliaractcristic memoirs <^ aa 
eye-witness the whole story of Hungary and its revolution. The intrigues of Latoar j 
with Jellachich, the treacher}' of the coturt, the part taken by Kossuth and ff tfy 
eminent characters, the Hungarian deputation to the Emperor, and the final biCMh i 
between Hungary and Austria, are told as forcibly as simply.*'— 2>at7y Netos, * \ 

" It is impossible that the great Hungarian struggle for freedom can over find a litato- j 
rian more honest in point of narrative, more sincere in conviction, or moro MudoiBlto 
do full justice to the truth than Madame Pulszky.**— O6«0rv^. 



HISTOBY AND MOGEAPHY. ] i 



NOW COMPLETE, 11* FIVE VOLUMES, POST OCTAVO, 

WITH POBTSAi;rS, &C., HANDSOMELY BOUND, PRICE d5s., 

PEPYS^ DIAEY 

AND CORRESPONDENCE, 

ILLU8TBATIVE OF THE KEIGNS OF CHABXES IL AND JAUE8 II. 

EDITED BY LORD BRAIBROOKE. 



Bdition contains ALL the passages restored from the origikal 
MANUSCRIPT, and all the Additional Notes. 

FROM THE EDINBURGH REVIEW. 

"We unhesitatingly characterise this journal as the most remarkable production of 
SHia kind which has ever been given to the world. His Diary makes us comprehend 
^he great historical events of the age, and the people who bore a part in them, and 
ogives us more clear glimpses into the true English life of the times than all the other 
3D»morials of them that have come down to our own." 

FROM THE ATHENiEUM. 

"The best book of its kind in the English lai^uage. The new matter is extremely 
usurious, and dccasionally far more characteristic and entertaining than the old. The 
-writeris seen in a clearer light, and the reader is taken into his inmost soul. 'Pepys* 
3>iary' is the ablest picture of the age in which the writer lived, and a work of stani&d 
-importance in English literature." 



DIARY OF THE REV. JOM WARD, 

VICAR OF STRATFORD-ON-AVON, 

EXTENDING FROM 1648 TO 1679.' 
1 vol., 8vo, 6s. bound. 

** One of the most interesting, and in some respects important, works of its class that 
we have had since Lord Herbert of Cberbnry and Mrs. Godolphin found modem editors. 
The diaries of Laud and Pepys are among the most interesting, if not the most necessary 
materials that the historian of the Stuarts can use, and this diary of Ward's is, in some 
reipects, equal to either of them, as far as it extends. To those who wish to know how 
the Hampaiens, the Falklands, and even the Shakspeares actualljr lived, this volume will 
affiird much information. He, especially, who loves Shakspeare will find much to interest 
bim in the diary of one who was an enthusiastic admirer of his, and who sought every 
opportunity of obtaining information concerning the man whom no hero^worshipper can 
too much exalt." — Morning Chronicle. 



LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE OF JOHN LOCKE. 

By LORD KING. 2 vols. 16s. 



THE DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF THE 

EARLS OF CLARENDON AND ROCHESTER; 

Comprising important Particulars of the Hev<dation, &c. 

Published from the Original MSS. With Notes. 2 vols., with fine Portraits 

and Plates, bound, U lis. 6d. 



i 12 GOLBURS AXD OO.'S XEW 1»EBUCA33QKS. 



BURKE'S DICnO^AEX OP THI 

EXTINCT, DORMANT, & ABEYAKT PEERAOi 

OF ENCLAMD, SCOTLAKD, AHO KELAHII. 

j iUfkUUtuWr priotod, io 1 voL ^o, wmtMirin g 800 douhfeHsdhmm pugs. ^Ils. bmL 

'I hu> work, fgniied wi a plan precMdj imukr to tiut of Mr. Bnrn's popckrliEStf 
<;f tl;« |ir«M;iit I'Mrra^ aud Baruoeuge, c cmjgiiiea tfaose pecjawfe irfaicL iurv ia» 
pemicd or trxtUiguibhed tiiioe the GuKjaeMt, piuticalaruiiiis the xnonben of eMh&Hi 
.^aM-li geiMfralioii, and Irt-inang the lineage, in aS poaaiUe cuos. tfaroncii diher euGaSr 
feinalrto, dowu to «rzi«ixo2 uouwi. It oonzwctfi, in mmixx innuKaoTthe nnr itiik «k< 
nobility, and it will in aU caMS show tLe cause vliicfa im* inflnenDod the ifrirai f f 
extinct dignity in a u«w creation. It thoaid. be prtacalarh- luiiand, tfau vmimm 
ajip^rtains n.-arly as much to extant as to extinrt pfffBc^ of difiianetim: ir dif 
liiffiiHrH ynHH away, it rarely oocors that wbok famnirir do. ^ 

CONTENTS. 

J . J'eersgts of KiJgland extinct by iailure of | C. Peen^^ of InOaad, erSmotbrUBi 

i;«Bu«', atUiiidcr, &c., alphabcticallT, ae- israe, atuiador Ac^ ».Tij:a»A 

con:iiJg to Suruaintu. according lo Soxiuuims. ^ 

2. Bsronits by W 'rit— Kngland— in abey- ' <■- BaronJes by Writ— IreJaad-ffl sf 

uricc, and utill vested probably in exist- ; -n^^^ 

iiig lifirs. ! ^ Peerages of Irdand, ^Ttwi>» «J i^ 

8. Kxiinct and Abcvsnt Peerages of Eng- i « ,>""^ *^P^^<»^J, ■ccoriinpislii 

Uud, according to titles | ^- ^*??fi** ^ ScoxJand, ertinel ty «P 

4. Cbartm of Kreedom-Msgna CluirU- I ^Sig^^lSS^ ^^^"^ 

Charier ot Forests. , 10. Extinct P^r^^T^;,athnL lUi 

6. Jloll of Battel Abbey. beticaUj, aocSSLg lonS/ 

MKMOIRS OF SCIPIO DE RICCL 

J.ATK UI8IIOI* OF PI8T0IA AKD PRATO ; 

UKFOKMKK OF CATUOLICISM IN TUSCANY. 

Cheaper Edition, 2 vols. 8vo, 128. bound. 

The leadii)'; iVature of this important work is its application to the CT«at anesiia V 
lit istiue b«:tw<c'n our I'rotfiKtant and Catholic fellow-snbjects. It omtains aoocito 
espasiuftUti I(«ini«li CJmrch Kstablishinent daring the eighteenth centurr and«^ 
ttbuBftH of tli« .IcHuitH throughout the greater part of Europe. Many nart^l^ rfit 
most thrilling kind arc brouglit to light. ^ i««rucojai» * 



MADAME CAMPAFS MEMOIRS 

OF THE COUJIT OF MARIE ANTOINETTE. 

Cheaper Edition, 2 vobi. «vo, with Portraits, price only 128.— The same in French. Ti 

"Wo liavo seldom j>eruKed ho entertaining a work. It is as a mirror of the most '^M 

did Court in Kuroi>c, at a time when the monarchy had not been shorn of anv nfi^ ' 

that it IS particularly worthy of attention."— C'Aronicfe. ^ 



beaB& 



KECOLLECTIONS OF REPUBLICAN FRANCE. 

By DE. MILLINGEN. 6s. 



\ 



HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY. 13 



ANECDOTES OF THE ARISTOCRACY, 

▲NJ> 

EPISODES m ANCESTRAL STORY. 

By J. BERNARD BURKE, Esq., 

Author of " The History of the Landed Gentry," " The Peerage and Baronetage," &c. 

Second and Gheapek Edition, 2 vols., post 8vo, 21s. bound. 

The memoirs of our great families are replete with details of the most 
striking and romantic interest, throwing light on the occurrences of public 
as well as domestic life, and elucidating the causes of many important 
national events. How little of the personal history of the Aristocracy is 
generally known, and yet how full of amusement is the subject ! Almost 
every eminent family has some event connected with its rise or great- 
ness, some curious traditipn interwoven with its annals, or some calamity 
casting a gloom over the brilliancy of its achievements, which cannot fail 
to attract 9ie attention of that sphere of society to which this work more 
particularly refers, and must equally interest the general reader, with 
whom, in this country, the records of the higher classes have always pos- 
sessed a peculiar attraction. The anecdotes of the Aristocracy here re- 
corded go far to show that there are more marvels in real life than in the 
creations of fiction. Let the reader seek romance in whatever book, and 
at whatever period he may, yet nought wQl he find to surpass the unex- 
aggerated reality here unfolded. 

" Mr. Burke has here ^ven us the most curious incidents, the most stirring tales, and 
the most remarkable circumstances connected with the histories, public and private, of our 
noble houses and aristocratic families, and has put them into a ^ape which will preserve 
them in the library, and render them the favourite study of those who are interested in 
the romance of real life. These stories, with all the reahty of established fact, read with 
as much spirit as the tales of Boccacio, and are as full of strange matter for reflection and 
amazement." — Britannia. 

" We cannot estimate too highly the interest of Mr. Burke's entertaining and instructive 
work. For the curious nature of the details, the extraordinary anecdotes related, the 
strange scenes described, it would be difficult to And a parallel for it. It will be read by 
every one." — Suncby Times, 

ROMANTIC RECORDS OF DISTINGUISHED 

FAMILIES. 

Being the Second Series of " Anecdotes of the Aristocracy." 

By J. B. BURKE, Esq. 

2 vols., post 8vo, 21s. bound. 

" From the copious materials afforded by the history of the English Aristocracy, Mr. 
Burke has made another and a most happy selection, adding a second wing to his interest- 
ing picture-gallery. Some of the most striking incidents on record in the annals of high 
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K 



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LEHERS OF ROYAL AND ILLUSTRIOUS LADIES ,■ 

OF GREAT BRITAIN. i 

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GENERAL PEPE^S NARRATIVE ' 

or THE WAR IN ITALY, 

FROM 1847 to 1850, INCLUDING THE SIEGE OF VENICE. . 

Now first published from the original Italian Manuscript. j 

Chcai)er Edition, 2 vols., post 8vo, 128. bound. ' j 

*' The rrand features of the recent Italian movement in favour of a natiooal cxiatenoe I 
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documents and letters which the work contains make it indispensable to the historian < 
of these times. The whole panorama of the Ilovolution is hero gone over — the inform ' 
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HIST0BY AilD BIOGRAPHY. 15 

THE 

REV. R. MILMAFS LIFE OF TASSOi 

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agreeable episodes in the narrative of Tasso's works and y^oes. -^Edinburgh Review. 

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" Mr. Mibnan's Memoir of Tasso is a work of considerable Interest ; entering fully into 
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MEMOIRS AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 

SIR ROBERT MURRAY KEITH, K.B., 

Minister Plenipotentiary at the Courts of Dresden, Copenhagen, and Vienna, 
from 1769 to 1793; with Biographical Memoirs of 

aUEEN CAROLINE MATILDA, SISTER OF GEORGE IIL 

2 vols., post 8vo, with Portraits, 21 s. bound. 

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tive enemy the Queen-Mother could inflict, by the spirited interposition of the British 
Ambassador. Sir Robert Keith also for a long period represented his Sovereign at the 
Courts of Dresden and Vienna ; and his papers, edited by a member of his family, throw 
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many curious particuLirs of the great men and events of the period. Among the variety of 
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** A large portion of this important and highly interesting work consists of letters, that 
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HISTORY OF THE WAR IN GERMAN! AND 

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HISTOEr AND BIOGEAPHT. 17 



HISTORY OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS; 

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THE REFORM BILL IN 1832. 

By WM. CHARLES TOWNSEND, ESQ., M.A. 2 vols. 8vo, 128. bound. 

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DIARY MD MEMOIRS OF SOPHIA DOROTHEA, 

CONSORT OF GEORGE I. 

Now first published from the Originals. 
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! 18 CQLBUKN AND CO.'S NEW PUBLICATIONS. 

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NARRATIVE OF A TWO YEARS* 

RESIDENCE AT NINEVEH; 

AND 

TRAVELS IN MESOPOTAMIA, ASSYRIA, and SYRIA 

WITH REMABKS ON THE CHALDEANS, NESTORIAN8, TSZIDEKS, &C. 

B7 the Kev- J. P. FLETCHER. Two vols., ppst 8vo, 21s. bound. 



These Travels embrace not only Nineveh and its antiquities, but various new 
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tal Christians, as well as notices of the country between Mosul and Aleppo, 
which has been explored by few European travellers. The intimate relations 
with the natives of the country entered into by Mr. Fletcher, who resided some 
years at Mosul, during his inquiries into the condition of the Oriental Chuichea, 
have furnished him with a vast fund of anecdote and illustration. The work 
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*' At a time when the startling discoveries of Mr. Layard have called public atientkn 
to the cradle of Asiatic civilisation, the notes of a two years' residence on the mighfy 
plain of Nineveh, and of excursions into the remotest parts of Assyria, from the pen 
of another traveller, cannot fail to excite more than ordinary interest. Mr. Fleteao^ 
well versed in the questions connected with the geography of Smpture, and with the his- 
tory and position of the different Churches of the East, made his observations on the 
countries which ho visited, not as an ordinary traveller who picks up his knowledge 
camnlly. here and there, but as an experienced student, who knows beforehand upoa what 
doIbAb ne is to diroct his inquiries. His volumes form an instructive and agreeable pen- 
dant to Mr. Layard's more exclusively antiquarian researches. The reader will meet 
with much valuabl i Information which he would look for in vain elsewhere." — J^ohn Bull. 

" A book which lots us more into tho secret of the habits and ideas of the natfra 
of Eastern Asia, more especially of the Christian population, than any w(»'k W9 coaM 
point out. Mr. Fletcher brings fresh and valuable information from that new centre of 
antiquarian research. He had the rare good fortune to be present at the first disco- 
veries of M. Botta; and ^e is not without claims to be ranked as a discoverer himsdl 
But his disposition and his opportunities make him a better describer of tho living *>»•" 
of the dead. Tho circle of his inquiries was by no means confined to Nineveh, but ex- ' 
tended to the whole Christian population or Asiatic Turkey, of whose habits, idflM^ i 
observances, and general condition nc gives a minute, interesting, and, we are oonvioqed, 
authentic account. The condition of the Eastern Churches is exciting much ouiiosttj at I 
present, and his detailed description of them will be most interesting to the reiSnai J 
world. Our extracts will sufficiently show what varied, interesting, and usefkilmattar 
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ten encountered.'*- ^^Aflnd^m. 1 

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desarves to bo popular, and cannot fail to increase our knowledge of the countries of wUflk t 
it Inatf."— J^oottpeHcal Magosine. I 



VOYAGES AND TKAVELS. 19 



JAPAN AND THE JAPANESE, 

Comprising the Narrative of 

A THREE YEARS' CAPTIVITY IN JAPAN; 

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By CAPTAIN GOLOWNIN. 
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TEN YEARS' VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY ROUND 

THE WORLD 

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PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF TRAVELS IN 

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TRAVELS IN KASHMERE, &c. 

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MR. ROSSES YACHT VOYAGE TO DENMARK, 

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THE YEAR-BOOK OF THE COUNTRY; 

OB, THE FIELD, THE FOREST, AND THE FIRESIDE. 
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" This very attractive and delightful work is evidently one written con <»mort. 
Mr. Hewitt's productions have always displayed an intense, and, so to speak, elegant 
and cultivated love of Old England's rural beauties ; and the present book will form an 
admirable companion to his ' Book of the Seasons.' In the present instance there is an 
abundant and interestingly applied variety of matter illustrative of human pleasures and 
pursuits in the country. A country life, indeed, is here seen in all its iK)ints of fiev 
—in the field, the forest, and by the fireside. It is curious to observe the variety of lolb 
jects treated of, either in prose or poetry, in these right pleasant and entertaining paflcs* \ 
The natural characteristics, peculiar customs, and usual avocations incident to vaA 
month in the year are described in a striking manner. Anecdotes, sketches of dunc' 
ter, &c., arc introduced with considerable skill and cflfoct, adding much to tile intereit- , 
ing nature of the book. The ' Autumnal Excursions * form some of tho most attnc> 
tive parts of the volimie ; and the legends scattered throughout are told with 
spirit and effect. Indeed, the work is altogether a charming one ; and tho ill 
admirably engraved on wood, from exceedingly clever and pretty designs, by Mr. Birket 
Poster, are quite worthy of the pages in which they appear."— Jfomtn^^dv^rfifdr. 



MISCELLANEOTIS. 23 



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